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Matthew 25 and signs of the Second Coming

Muffled

Jesus in me
Sorry, I did not mean to say that you should not guide people if you feel called upon to do so. I just meant that it is pretty self-serving to imagine that by merely being part of a Church you will qualify to enter heaven - that feeding the hungry, healing the sick, welcoming strangers or caring about people in prison was comparatively unimportant.

I believe Jesus doesn't grade on a scale. One either has received Him as Lord and Savior or not. I attended church long before I was saved. What Jesus is saying is that if He is really Lord those things should be happening in your life. A lack of them indicates the person only pretended to make Jesus Lord and followed hs own desires instead.
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
I tend to believe that all of us are "a work in progress" until the day we croak, thus I don't take anything for granted as far as the issue of "salvation". Heck, even Paul said he was unwilling to judge himself.
 

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
I don't worry about it. I am a born again Christian so there is never any blame.


21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.22 Many will say to me on that day,‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
 

omega2xx

Well-Known Member
There are several aspects of this verse that interest me.

(1) The sheep, presumably meaning those who are saved, are distinguished by what they do to assist those most in need. There is a parallel with the good Samaritan story.

The ones doing the good works are the righteous(Mt 25:37), the saved. They are not doing the works to be saved, they are doing them because they are saved.

(2) There is no mention whatsoever of declared Faith, to be saved. So one who declares themselves Christian, but does not distinguish himself by his good works is not saved.

There is no need to. They are already righteous.

(3) The qualities of helping others in need is part of any true religion, not just Christianity.

Helping other does not make one a Christian, even pagans do that.

We also should look at that passages as an allegory: Did we also give them the Bread of life? Did we give them the water of God's word(Eph 5:26)? Did we cover the shame of their sin, with the robe of righteousness and the garments of salvation (Isa 61:10)? Did we tend to their spiritual sickness? Did we visit them in their spiritual prison? Did we invite them into our spiritual house.?
 

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
The ones doing the good works are the righteous(Mt 25:37), the saved. They are not doing the works to be saved, they are doing them because they are saved.

So lets have a look at the verses in question:

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.


The son of man, on behalf of God, is judging us all according to our deeds, not faith according to these verses.

You make it sound as if Christians are the only ones who do good out of a pure motive, and everyone else doesn't. That's simply not true.

There is no need to. They are already righteous.

You are equating being Christian with being righteous. But you can be righteous without being Christian and you can act selfishly hurting many and call your Christian.

Consider Matthew 7:20-23
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
 

omega2xx

Well-Known Member
So lets have a look at the verses in question:

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.


The son of man, on behalf of God, is judging us all according to our deeds, not faith according to these verses.

You make it sound as if Christians are the only ones who do good out of a pure motive, and everyone else doesn't. That's simply not true.

No I didn't. All I said was the was the ones doing the good works were Christians. If anyone doing the good works who were not Christians, they still would not go to heaven. Good works does not make one a Christian, You made it sound like going the good works made one a sheep.

You are equating being Christian with being righteous.

Christians are righteous. Not on their own merit, they have been given the righteousness of Christ(I Cor 1:30 & Phil 3:9). Also Mt 25:37.

But you can be righteous without being Christian

Not according to the Bible.

and you can act selfishly hurting many and call your Christian.

Christians still sin.

Consider Matthew 7:20-23
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

That makes my point. Those folks thought what they were doing made them Christians, it did not.
 

MHz

Member
The Bible promotes a period of 42 months that will precede the return. The 42 months are divided into 2 parts. They are referenced as being 'woes' and when those 2 woes end it starts a 3rd woe that is the worst of all of them. That is the day the sheep and the goats are separated and the goats are sent to the grave for the period of the 1,000 year reign.

The deaths of all sinners on the planet will happen within a few hours of when they start to die. The 2 witnesses will be resurrected just in time to see that begin to happen. In the few hours after that starts they witness the resurrection from the grave of the whole House of Israel. Welcome to the start of 'the day of the lord'.

Re:2:5:
Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen,
and repent,
and do the first works;
or else I will come unto thee quickly,
and will remove thy candlestick out of his place,
except thou repent.

Re:16:8:
And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun;
and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
Re:16:9:
And men were scorched with great heat,
and blasphemed the name of God,
which hath power over these plagues:
and they repented not to give him glory.

Zec:14:12:
And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem;
Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,
and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

Zec:13:8:
And it shall come to pass,
that in all the land,
saith the LORD,
two parts therein shall be cut off and die;
but the third shall be left therein.
Zec:13:9:
And I will bring the third part through the fire,
and will refine them as silver is refined,
and will try them as gold is tried:
they shall call on my name,
and I will hear them:
I will say,
It is my people:
and they shall say,
The LORD is my God.

Zec:14:1-3:
Behold,
the day of the LORD cometh,
and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle;
and the city shall be taken,
and the houses rifled,
and the women ravished;
and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Then shall the LORD go forth,
and fight against those nations,
as when he fought in the day of battle.

Jer:25:31-33:
A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations,
he will plead with all flesh;
he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.
Thus saith the LORD of hosts,
Behold,
evil shall go forth from nation to nation,
and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth:
they shall not be lamented,
neither gathered,
nor buried;
they shall be dung upon the ground.
 

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
All I said was the was the ones doing the good works were Christians.

That's not true. Often the Christians are not doing good works at all but contributing to religious bigotry and intolerance through their words and deeds. They think they are Christian but they are not. That is why I quoted Matthew 7:20-23

If anyone doing the good works who were not Christians, they still would not go to heaven.

You are playing God and judging again. You don't know that although clearly you believe you do.

Matthew 7:1-3

Good works does not make one a Christian, You made it sound like going the good works made one a sheep.

Good works makes one more sheep like, than the one who does not.

Christians are righteous. Not on their own merit, they have been given the righteousness of Christ(I Cor 1:30 & Phil 3:9). Also Mt 25:37.

Many Christians are not righteous at all and many Christians are self-righteous. They are simply fooling themselves if they imagine they will attain heaven in the next world because they believe in Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:30 if seen in context is Paul advocating belief in Christ over the world view of the Jews and Greeks. Similarly with Philippians 3:9 we have to consider the historic context where Faith in Christ is the way compared to the dogs and evil worshippers.

Matthew 23:37
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

Once again this is about good deeds, not religious bigots casting scorn and derision on peoples of other faiths who contribute to much that is good about the world.
 

MHz

Member
Once again this is about good deeds, not religious bigots casting scorn and derision on peoples of other faiths who contribute to much that is good about the world.
The period of time that is the 3 1/2 years before the return are different from the period of time we are in. The only gathering tool around today is the book known as the Bible. What a man thinks of it after getting to know something about it will forge a relationship between himself and with God.
That view also allows God yo determine what relationship best defines it as far as what will happen when judgement comes. Judgment is about receiving a glorified body and that is a group event. Jesus and the OT Saints that were resurrected on the same morning are the first to be gathered, the last to be gathered are those who appear at the Great White Throne, the last event before the start of the new earth verses.
 

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
At least you have changed you avatar to something that looks human rather than the previous skull X-ray.

The period of time that is the 3 1/2 years before the return are different from the period of time we are in.

What do you base that on?

The only gathering tool around today is the book known as the Bible.

There is also the Quran.

What a man thinks of it after getting to know something about it will forge a relationship between himself and with God.

That knowledge can also become a barrier between man and what he seeks. That was the basis for the strongly worded comment about religious bigotry and derision towards other faiths.

That view also allows God yo determine what relationship best defines it as far as what will happen when judgement comes.

Once again, it can totally mislead you. If that were not so, then most of the Jews would have recognised Christ.

Judgment is about receiving a glorified body and that is a group event.

That is an example of taking scripture literally and coming to the wrong conclusion.

Jesus and the OT Saints that were resurrected on the same morning are the first to be gathered, the last to be gathered are those who appear at the Great White Throne, the last event before the start of the new earth verses.

The only problem with that, is that they weren't physically resurrected at all.
 

MHz

Member
Once again this is about good deeds, not religious bigots casting scorn and derision on peoples of other faiths who contribute to much that is good about the world.
The Clergy is showing what is wrong with the Church rather than showing what is right about it these days. A relationship between a person and God is made possible by the same prayer that Daniel used while in exile in Neb's Babylon, during the time of the fist two woes the same level of protection is available.
The two witnesses will be the best example of proof of the existence of God that will be available. That is more than what is available these days as faith on the book being true is what loosely defines a person as 'a believer'. Faith through proof is how 'doubting Thomas' declared himself to be a believer. The repented Gentiles are just as protected as the 144,000 from the 12 Tribes are. Their final number is not determined until the day the two witnesses are resurrected from the grave.
 

MHz

Member
At least you have changed you avatar to something that looks human rather than the previous skull X-ray.
lol, that's only 1/2 of it, as you move closer the pic turns into a woman looking into a vanity. There are some better pics available under' vanity optical illusion'. Most people don't make it past the skull. I assume you see the plants that make up the face in my current one.
 

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
The Clergy is showing what is wrong with the Church rather than showing what is right about it these days.

Agreed.

A relationship between a person and God is made possible by the same prayer that Daniel used while in exile in Neb's Babylon, during the time of the fist two woes the same level of protection is available.

The prayer was under a specific circumstance (Presuming you mean Daniel 9). It is the sincerity and purity of ones heart, not the reciting of these specific words that counts.

The two witnesses will be the best example of proof of the existence of God that will be available.

I'm presuming you are referring to revelation 11:3-5?

Those witnesses were the messenger Muhammad and His son-in-law Ali. Ali is considered the successor of Muhammad according to Shi'ite Islam and the Baha'is.

That is more than what is available these days as faith on the book being true is what loosely defines a person as 'a believer'.

Its not about who considers who a believer.

Faith through proof is how 'doubting Thomas' declared himself to be a believer.

Proofs have their place. You can believe in anything and call it faith or truth. If you can't speak reasonably about it, then you become one more crazy man ranting about his religion.

The repented Gentiles are just as protected as the 144,000 from the 12 Tribes are.

We don't know that. Its wishful thinking for Christians who imagine they are 'saved.'

Their final number is not determined until the day the two witnesses are resurrected from the grave.

They have been already.
 

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
lol, that's only 1/2 of it, as you move closer the pic turns into a woman looking into a vanity. There are some better pics available under' vanity optical illusion'. Most people don't make it past the skull. I assume you see the plants that make up the face in my current one.

I do see the plants. The other one wasn't as clear. Now I see where you are coming from, it makes a little more sense. Its an important religious theme, the illusions behind the sacred scripture.
 

MHz

Member
What do you base that on?
Playing with the numbers given in Revelations. The 2 witnesses are given 1260 days to preach and the trumps cannot sound until certain people are sealed from physical harm. That aspect is a change and for the witnesses it protects them for 1260 days. The Beast that kills them is part of the woe trumps so that is the 5th and 6th specifically. The 2nd woe is said to be over on the day the 2 witnesses are resurrected, 3 1/2 days after the Beast puts them there. The Beast's 42 months is also equal to 1260 days and if the 2 witnesses die '4 days' prior to their resurrection and that spelling the end to the Beast's time strongly suggests that the first 4 trumps happen at the rate of 1 per day for 4 days running. Close examination of that concept would involve the seals as being prophecies rather than events like they are viewed today. The vision in Da:7 mentions time, times and 1/2 a time, when meshing that with information that Daniel did not have it works out that it is a reference to the time the witnesses are in the grave.
By the end of the same day they are resurrected the whole population that is destined to be alive for the 1,000 year reign are going to be in the shape Jesus was in the morning of His resurrection

There is also the Quran.
It doesn't offer any physical proof either, nor can Judaism. The 'signs following' mentioned in the NT was to show the people that the message bearer was sent from the same God that was with Jesus. The 'little horn' verses from Da:8 are about the 500 years Rome ruled over Jerusalem. Their downfall is in those lines and by 450AD Rome was using a Latin version of the Bible.
When fallen angels got out of hand and tried to exterminate Eve's children the flood happened and the seed of Eve was able to do what they were intended to do, complete all things to do with the two bruises from Ge:3:15.
When Jews got off track before the scattering that was to happen in 70 AD God had Neb exile them to his Babylon. When the Church (RCC by 500AD) went off the rails God created a 'plan b; for Gentiles who wanted to believe in the OT God for Gentiles but without the flaws the RCC where showing.
One thing that cannot be shown is that the Quran is the sermon Jesus had with the village that the woman from the well. This was after He returned from the 40 days in the wilderness but before He took over preaching for John when he was put into prison.

I love what the repercussions of that would do to the 3 religions involved. Demolition Derby at it's best. lol

The Quran is not meant to surpass what the Bible covers as far as anything to do with prophecies and events connected to Ge:3:15. It is more about how some Gentiles came to be qualified to believe in the one true God and not come from the 12 Tribes.

That knowledge can also become a barrier between man and what he seeks. That was the basis for the strongly worded comment about religious bigotry and derision towards other faiths.
The 1st NT Law is about a person's relationship with God. Rather than leave 'us' guessing He included 7 letters to 7 different groups of people that will come to have a shared judgment in the form of the 7 vials. If you are on the 'not overcome' side of any of the 7 Churches you will not be alive within a few breaths. The next time you will see that same God is when you appear before Him at the Great White Throne event. Being sent to the grave will cover all sins a person can commit. Being a sinner in the 42 months when the Beast and Satan are active is to be the same as a sinner prior to the flood and the punishment is the same, the grave but without being asleep.

To die during the 7 vials punishment is to die in 'great tribulation'. When people die prior to the day of the return they go to sleep and wake up at the Great White Throne with their sins being washed away. The ones that die yet remain awake mock Satan during that period of time so that is their time of repenting so they can also appear before God at the Great White Throne while being viewed as being sinless.

Re:7:17:
After this I beheld,
and,
lo,
a great multitude,
which no man could number,
of all nations,
and kindreds,
and people,
and tongues,
stood before the throne,
and before the Lamb,
clothed with white robes,
and palms in their hands;
And cried with a loud voice,
saying,
Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb.
And all the angels stood round about the throne,
and about the elders and the four beasts,
and fell before the throne on their faces,
and worshipped God,
Saying,
Amen:
Blessing,
and glory,
and wisdom,
and thanksgiving,
and honour,
and power,
and might,
be unto our God for ever and ever.
Amen.
And one of the elders answered,
saying unto me,
What are these which are arrayed in white robes?
and whence came they?
And I said unto him,
Sir,
thou knowest.
And he said to me,
These are they which came out of great tribulation,
and have washed their robes,
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Therefore are they before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple:
and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
They shall hunger no more,
neither thirst any more;
neither shall the sun light on them,
nor any heat.
For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them,
and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters:
and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Heb:12:22-29:
But ye are come unto mount Sion,
and unto the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem,
and to an innumerable company of angels,
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn,
which are written in heaven,
and to God the Judge of all,
and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant,
and to the blood of sprinkling,
that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
See that ye refuse not him that speaketh.
For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth,
much more shall not we escape,
if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
Whose voice then shook the earth:
but now he hath promised,
saying,
Yet once more I shake not the earth only,
but also heaven.
And this word,
Yet once more,
signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken,
as of things that are made,
that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved,
let us have grace,
whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
For our God is a consuming fire.

Once again, it can totally mislead you. If that were not so, then most of the Jews would have recognised Christ.
Really? What chance did Pharaoh have once God hardened his heart? How about the Jews:in Matthew:23 not being shown the vision with Moses and Elias, think that may have changed their mind? If God has determined the ration for sinners and believers on the day of the return then I doubt we are going to be able to do anything to change in. Once you get the right version you realize there is no reason to change it at all, it works just fine as originally determined by God.

Gentiles will have a remnant of their whole number alive during the 1,000 year reign. Basically the NT Church and some Gentiles from the OT. The whole House of Israel is defined as going back to Abraham's sons as defined in Eze:37.

The cross was the completion of the first of two bruises mentioned in Ge:3:15. As important as the cross was it is the completion of both bruises that is seen as the time to celebrate. The prophecy and the text that is dedicated to events associated with the cross are pretty detailed.
What is lost is that the Gospels are the conclusion to something rather than being the start of something, perhaps that is God's way of making 66% of the readers into a delusion.

That is an example of taking scripture literally and coming to the wrong conclusion.
Not at all, we are even clued in that the Beloved Disciple is the first one to be resurrected to everlasting life after the two witnesses are resurrected. She is also representing the whole of the 12 Tribes so if she goes to the river in Eze:47 to be glorified then the whole of the 12 Tribes do the very same thing.

The only problem with that, is that they weren't physically resurrected at all.
That's too bad because then neither war Jesus and there will be no return and no everlasting life.

1Co:15:32:
If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus,
what advantageth it me,
if the dead rise not?
let us eat and drink;
for to morrow we die.

1Co:15:15-23:
Yea,
and we are found false witnesses of God;
because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ:
whom he raised not up,
if so be that the dead rise not.
For if the dead rise not,
then is not Christ raised:
And if Christ be not raised,
your faith is vain;
ye are yet in your sins.
Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
If in this life only we have hope in Christ,
we are of all men most miserable.
But now is Christ risen from the dead,
and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
For since by man came death,
by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
But every man in his own order:
Christ the firstfruits;
afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
 

MHz

Member
IIts an important religious theme, the illusions behind the sacred scripture.
It means to look at all things as closely as possible or what you may be seeing is only an illusion.

1Th:5:21:
Prove all things;
hold fast that which is good.

. . . that and it's just an interesting pic. I would have loved to have met the artist, see if he inhaled.
 

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
Playing with the numbers given in Revelations. The 2 witnesses are given 1260 days to preach and the trumps cannot sound until certain people are sealed from physical harm. That aspect is a change and for the witnesses it protects them for 1260 days. The Beast that kills them is part of the woe trumps so that is the 5th and 6th specifically. The 2nd woe is said to be over on the day the 2 witnesses are resurrected, 3 1/2 days after the Beast puts them there. The Beast's 42 months is also equal to 1260 days and if the 2 witnesses die '4 days' prior to their resurrection and that spelling the end to the Beast's time strongly suggests that the first 4 trumps happen at the rate of 1 per day for 4 days running. Close examination of that concept would involve the seals as being prophecies rather than events like they are viewed today. The vision in Da:7 mentions time, times and 1/2 a time, when meshing that with information that Daniel did not have it works out that it is a reference to the time the witnesses are in the grave.

For your interest I share with you a Baha'i commentary on chapter 11 from the book of revelation. It addresses some of what you have raised.


Commentary Revelation Chap11:- Abdu'l-Baha

In Revelation 11:1-2 it is said: "And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." (11:1)

By this reed is meant the Perfect Man, and the reason for His being likened to a reed is that when the latter is entirely freed and emptied of its pith, it becomes capable of producing wondrous melodies. Moreover, these songs and airs proceed not from the reed itself but from the player who blows into it. In the same way, the sanctified heart of that blessed Being is free and empty of all save God, is averse to and exempt from attachment to every selfish inclination, and is intimately acquainted with the breath of the Divine Spirit. That which He utters proceeds not from Himself but from the ideal Player and from divine revelation. Hence He is likened to a reed, and that reed is like a rod; that is, it is the succour of the weak and the support of every mortal soul. It is the rod of the True Shepherd by which He guards His flock and leads it about in the pastures of the Kingdom (11:2)

Then it is said that the angel addressed him, saying, "Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein"; that is, weigh and gauge. To gauge is to determine the quantity of a thing. Thus the angel said: Weigh the Holy of Holies, and the altar, and them that are worshipping therein- that is, investigate their true condition; discover their rank and station, their attainments, their perfections, their conduct, and their attributes; and acquaint thyself with the mysteries of those holy souls who abide in the station of purity and sanctity in the Holy of Holies (11:3)

"But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles." When, in the beginning of the seventh century of the Christian era, Jerusalem was conquered, the Holy of Holies- that is, the edifice that Solomon had erected- was outwardly preserved, but its outer court was seized and given over to the Gentiles (11:4)

"And the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months"; that is, the Gentiles will seize and subdue Jerusalem for forty-two months, or 1,260 days, or- each day being equivalent to a year- 1,260 years, which is the duration of the Qur'anic Dispensation. For according to the text of the Bible each day is a year, as it is said in Ezekiel 4:6: "thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year" (11:5)

This is a prophecy concerning the duration of the Dispensation of Islam, when Jerusalem was trodden underfoot, meaning that it was dishonoured, while the Holy of Holies remained preserved, guarded, and honoured. This state of affairs continued until the year 1260. This 1,260 years is a prophecy concerning the advent of the Bab, the "Gate" leading to Baha'u'llah, which took place in the year A.H. 1260. As the period of 1,260 years has been completed, the Holy City of Jerusalem is now beginning to prosper and flourish again. Anyone who saw Jerusalem sixty years ago, and who sees it again today, will recognize how it has come to prosper and flourish and how it has regained its honour (11:6)

This is the outward sense of these verses of the Revelation of John, but they also have an inward interpretation and a symbolic meaning, which is as follows. The religion of God consists of two parts: One is the very foundation and belongs to the spiritual realm; that is, it pertains to spiritual virtues and divine qualities. This part suffers neither change nor alteration: It is the Holy of Holies, which constitutes the essence of the religion of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Christ, Muhammad, the Bab, and Baha'u'llah, and which will endure throughout all the prophetic Dispensations. It will never be abrogated, for it consists in spiritual rather than material truth. It is faith, knowledge, certitude, justice, piety, high-mindedness, trustworthiness, love of God, and charity. It is mercy to the poor, assistance to the oppressed, generosity to the needy, and upliftment of the fallen. It is purity, detachment, humility, forbearance, patience, and constancy. These are divine qualities. These commandments will never be abrogated, but will remain in force and effect for all eternity. These human virtues are renewed in every Dispensation; for at the close of each Dispensation the spirit of the law of God, which consists in the human virtues, vanishes in substance and persists only in form (11:7)

Thus, at the end of the Mosaic Dispensation, which coincided with the advent of Christ, the true religion of God vanished from among the Jews, leaving behind a form without a spirit. The Holy of Holies was no more, but the outer court of the Temple- which signifies the outward form of the religion- fell into the hands of the Gentiles. In the same way, the very heart of the religion of Christ, which consists in the greatest human virtues, is no more, but its outward form has remained in the hands of the priests and monks. Likewise, the foundation of the religion of Muhammad is no more, but its outward form remains in the hands of the Muslim divines (11:8)

Those foundations of the religion of God, however, which are spiritual and consist in human virtues, are never subject to abrogation but are eternal and everlasting, and are renewed in every prophetic Dispensation (11:9)

The second part of the religion of God, which pertains to the material world and which concerns such things as fasting; prayer; worship; marriage; divorce; manumission; legal rulings; transactions; and penalties and punishments for murder, assault, theft, and injury, is changed and altered in every prophetic Dispensation and may be abrogated- for policies, transactions, punishments, and other laws are bound to change according to the exigencies of the time (11:10)

to be continued
 

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
Playing with the numbers given in Revelations. The 2 witnesses are given 1260 days to preach and the trumps cannot sound until certain people are sealed from physical harm. That aspect is a change and for the witnesses it protects them for 1260 days. The Beast that kills them is part of the woe trumps so that is the 5th and 6th specifically. The 2nd woe is said to be over on the day the 2 witnesses are resurrected, 3 1/2 days after the Beast puts them there. The Beast's 42 months is also equal to 1260 days and if the 2 witnesses die '4 days' prior to their resurrection and that spelling the end to the Beast's time strongly suggests that the first 4 trumps happen at the rate of 1 per day for 4 days running. Close examination of that concept would involve the seals as being prophecies rather than events like they are viewed today. The vision in Da:7 mentions time, times and 1/2 a time, when meshing that with information that Daniel did not have it works out that it is a reference to the time the witnesses are in the grave.

Commentary part 2:

Briefly, what is meant by the term "Holy of Holies" is that spiritual law which can never be changed or abrogated, and what is meant by the "Holy City" is the material law which may indeed be abrogated; and this material law- the Holy City- was to be trodden underfoot for 1,260 years (11:11)

"And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three-score days, clothed in sackcloth." By these two witnesses are intended Muhammad the Messenger of God and 'Alí the son of Abú Talib. In the Qur'an it is said that God addressed Muhammad, saying, "We made Thee a witness, a herald, and a warner";[26] that is, We have established Thee as one Who bears witness, Who imparts the glad-tidings of that which is to come, and Who warns of the wrath of God. A "witness" means one by whose affirmation matters are ascertained. The commandments of these two witnesses were to be followed for 1,260 days, each day corresponding to a year. Now, Muhammad was the root and 'Alí the branch, like Moses and Joshua. It is said they were "clothed in sackcloth", meaning that they appeared to wear not a new raiment but an old one. In other words, they would initially appear to be of no consequence in the eyes of other peoples and their Cause would not seem new. For the spiritual principles of the religion of Muhammad correspond to those of Christ in the Gospel, and His material commandments correspond for the most part to those of the Torah. This is the symbolism of the old raiment. (11:12)

"These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth." These two Souls have been likened to olive trees, since all the lamps of that time were lit at night with olive oil. In other words, these are two Souls from whom the oil of divine wisdom- which is the cause of the illumination of the world- will appear, and through whom the lights of God will shine bright and resplendent. Thus have they also been likened to candlesticks. The candlestick is the locus of the light and the place from whence it emanates. In the same way, the light of guidance would shine resplendent from these luminous Countenances. (11:13)

They are "standing before God"- that is, they have arisen in His service and are educating His creatures. For instance, they so educated the barbarous, desert-dwelling tribes of the Arabian Peninsula as to cause them to attain the loftiest heights of human civilization at the time and to spread their fame and renown throughout the world (11:14)

"And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies."[28] This means that no soul would be able to withstand their might. That is, should anyone seek to subvert their teachings or their law, he would be overcome and defeated by virtue of that law which proceeds, whether in brief or in full, from their mouth. In other words, they would issue a command that would destroy any enemy that would attempt to harm or oppose them. And so it came to pass, for their opponents were all vanquished, dispersed, and destroyed, and these two witnesses were outwardly assisted by the power of God. (11:15)

"These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy."This means that they would rule supreme in that age. In other words, the law and teachings of Muhammad, and the exposition and commentaries of 'Alí, are a heavenly grace. Should they wish to bestow this grace, it is in their power to do so, and should they wish otherwise, no rain will fall, and by "rain" is meant here the outpouring grace. (11:16) com4
"And have power over waters to turn them to blood".[30] This means that the prophethood of Muhammad was similar to that of Moses, and the power of 'Alí like that of Joshua. That is, it was in their power, had they so desired, to turn the waters of the Nile into blood for the Egyptians and the deniers- or, in other words, to turn, in consequence of their ignorance and pride, that which was the source of their life into the cause of their death. Thus the sovereignty, wealth, and power of Pharaoh and of his people, which were the source of that nation's life, became, as a result of their opposition, denial, and pride, the very cause of their death, ruin, destruction, degradation, and wretchedness. Hence these two witnesses have power to destroy nations. (11:17)

"And to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will".[31] This means that they would also be endowed with outward power and ascendancy, that they might school the workers of iniquity and the embodiments of oppression and tyranny. For God had granted these two witnesses both outward might and inward power, and so it is that they reformed and educated the wicked, bloodthirsty, and iniquitous Arabs of the desert who were like ravening wolves and beasts. (11:18)

"And when they shall have finished their testimony"- that is, when they have accomplished that which they were bidden, and have delivered the divine message, and promoted the religion of God, and spread abroad His heavenly teachings, so that the signs of spiritual life might be manifested in the souls of men, the light of human virtues might shine forth, and these desert tribes might achieve substantive progress. (11:19)

"The beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them." By this beast is meant the Umayyads, who assailed these witnesses from the pit of error. And indeed it came to pass that the Umayyads assailed the religion of Muhammad and the truth of 'Alí, which consist in the love of God. (11:20)
 

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
Playing with the numbers given in Revelations. The 2 witnesses are given 1260 days to preach and the trumps cannot sound until certain people are sealed from physical harm. That aspect is a change and for the witnesses it protects them for 1260 days. The Beast that kills them is part of the woe trumps so that is the 5th and 6th specifically. The 2nd woe is said to be over on the day the 2 witnesses are resurrected, 3 1/2 days after the Beast puts them there. The Beast's 42 months is also equal to 1260 days and if the 2 witnesses die '4 days' prior to their resurrection and that spelling the end to the Beast's time strongly suggests that the first 4 trumps happen at the rate of 1 per day for 4 days running. Close examination of that concept would involve the seals as being prophecies rather than events like they are viewed today. The vision in Da:7 mentions time, times and 1/2 a time, when meshing that with information that Daniel did not have it works out that it is a reference to the time the witnesses are in the grave.

Commentary part 3

"The beast made war against these two witnesses." By this is intended a spiritual war, meaning that the beast would act in complete opposition to the teachings, conduct, and character of these two witnesses, to such an extent that the virtues and perfections that had been diffused among the peoples and nations by virtue of their power would entirely vanish, and animal qualities and carnal desires would predominate. Therefore, this beast would wage war against them and would gain ascendancy, meaning that the darkness of the error propagated by this beast would prevail throughout the world and slay those two witnesses- that is, it would extinguish their spiritual life amidst the people, obliterate their divine laws and teachings, and trample underfoot the religion of God, leaving behind naught but a dead and soulless body. (11:21)

"And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified."[35] By "their bodies" is meant the religion of God and by "the street", exposure to public view. "Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified" refers to the land of Syria and especially to Jerusalem, for the Umayyads had their seat of power in this land and it was here that the religion of God and the divine teachings first disappeared, leaving behind a soulless body. "Their bodies" refers to the religion of God, which remained as a dead and soulless body. (11:22)

"And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves." As was already explained, in the terminology of the Sacred Scriptures three days and a half signifies three years and a half, and three years and a half represents forty-two months, and forty-two months- 1,260 days. Since according to the explicit text of the Bible each day is equivalent to a year, this means that for 1,260 years, which is the duration of the Qur'anic Dispensation, the nations, tribes, and peoples would behold their bodies; that is, they would keep the religion of God before their eyes but would not act in accordance with it. Yet they would not suffer these bodies- the religion of God- to be laid to rest in the grave. That is, they would hold fast to its outward form and not let it entirely vanish from their midst nor allow the body to be wholly destroyed and annihilated. Rather, they would forsake its reality while out-wardly preserving its name and remembrance. (11:23)

That which is intended here are such kindreds, peoples, and nations as were gathered beneath the shadow of the Qur'an. These are they who would not allow the Cause and religion of God to be destroyed and annihilated outwardly as well. Thus, some manner of prayer and fasting was practised among them, but the very foundations of the religion of God, which are goodly character, upright conduct, and the knowledge of the divine mysteries, had disappeared; the light of human virtues, which proceeds from the love and knowledge of God, had been extinguished; the darkness of oppression and tyranny, of carnal desires and satanic attributes, prevailed; and the body of the religion of God, like unto a corpse, was exposed to public view (11:24)

For 1,260 days, each day being a year- that is, for the duration of the Islamic Dispensation- all that these two Persons had established as the foundations of the religion of God was forfeited by their followers. To such an extent were the traces of human virtues- which are the bestowals of God and which constituted the spirit of this religion- erased that truthfulness, justice, love, concord, purity, sanctity, detachment, and all the heavenly attributes vanished from their midst, and what remained of the religion was mere prayer and fasting. This condition lasted for 1,260 years, which corresponds to the Dispensation of the Qur'an. It was as though these two Persons had died and their bodies were left without a soul (11:25)
"And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth."[37] By "them that dwelt on the earth" is meant other peoples and nations, such as those of Europe and of distant Asian lands, who, seeing that the character of Islam had entirely changed; that the religion of God had been forsaken; that virtue, decency, and honour had vanished; and that characters had been subverted, rejoiced that the morals of the Muslims had been corrupted and that they stood therefore to be vanquished by other nations. And this indeed came to pass in a most conspicuous manner. Witness how this people who once wielded supreme power have been abased and subjugated! (11:26)

The other nations "shall send gifts to one another", meaning that they would help each other, for "these two prophets tormented them that dwelt upon the earth"; that is, they subdued and subjugated the other peoples and nations of the earth (11:27)

"And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them." Three days and a half, as we explained earlier, is 1,260 years. These two Persons whose bodies were lying soulless- that is, the teachings and the religion that Muhammad had established and that 'Alí had promoted, whose reality had vanished, and of which only an empty form had remained- were again endowed with spirit. That is, the spirituality of the religion of God that had become materiality, the virtues that had become vices, the love of God that had become hatred, the light that had become darkness, the divine qualities that had become satanic attributes, the justice that had become tyranny, the mercy that had become malice, the sincerity that had become hypocrisy, the guidance that had become error, the purity that had become carnality- all these divine teachings, heavenly virtues and perfections, and spiritual bounties- were, after three and a half days (which by the terminology of the Sacred Scriptures is 1,260 years) renewed by the advent of the Bab and by the allegiance of Quddús. (11:28)

Thus did the breezes of sanctity waft, the light of truth shine, the life-giving springtime arrive, and the morn of guidance dawn. These two dead bodies were once again quickened to life, and these two great Personages- one the Founder and the other the promoter- arose and were as two candlesticks, for they illumined the whole world with the light of truth (11:29)

"And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud",meaning that from the invisible heaven they heard the voice of God, saying: You have accomplished all that was called for with regard to educating the people and conveying the glad-tidings of that which is to come. You have delivered My message to the people, raised the call of Truth, and fulfilled your every obligation. Now, even as Christ, you must lay down your lives in the path of the Beloved and suffer a martyr's death. And so that Sun of Reality and that Moon of Guidance[40] both set, Christ-like, beneath the horizon of the supreme sacrifice and ascended to the realm of Heaven. (11:30)

"And their enemies beheld them."That is, many of their enemies realized after their martyrdom the sublimity of their station and the excellence of their virtues, and testified to their greatness and their perfections. (11:31)
"And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand."[42] This earthquake occurred in Shíraz after the martyrdom of the Bab. The city was plunged into turmoil, and many people were killed. Great agitation ensued, moreover, from diseases, cholera, scarcity, famine, starvation, and other afflictions- an agitation the like of which had never before been witnessed. (11:32)

"And the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven."When the earthquake took place in Fars, the survivors were wailing and lamenting day and night, and were occupied with praising and imploring God. So great was their fear and agitation that at night they could find no rest or composure. (11:33)
 

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
Playing with the numbers given in Revelations. The 2 witnesses are given 1260 days to preach and the trumps cannot sound until certain people are sealed from physical harm. That aspect is a change and for the witnesses it protects them for 1260 days. The Beast that kills them is part of the woe trumps so that is the 5th and 6th specifically. The 2nd woe is said to be over on the day the 2 witnesses are resurrected, 3 1/2 days after the Beast puts them there. The Beast's 42 months is also equal to 1260 days and if the 2 witnesses die '4 days' prior to their resurrection and that spelling the end to the Beast's time strongly suggests that the first 4 trumps happen at the rate of 1 per day for 4 days running. Close examination of that concept would involve the seals as being prophecies rather than events like they are viewed today. The vision in Da:7 mentions time, times and 1/2 a time, when meshing that with information that Daniel did not have it works out that it is a reference to the time the witnesses are in the grave.

Commentary part 4

"The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly." The first woe was the advent of the Apostle of God, Muhammad the son of 'Abdu'llah, peace be upon Him. The second woe was that of the Bab, upon Him be glory and praise. The third woe is the great Day of the advent of the Lord of Hosts and the revelation of the promised Beauty. The explanation of this matter is provided in the thirtieth chapter of Ezekiel, where it is said: "The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Howl ye, Woe worth the day! For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near."[45] It is therefore evident then that the day of woe is the day of the Lord; for in that day woe is upon the heedless, the sinners, and the ignorant. That is why it is said, "The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly." This third woe is the day of the manifestation of Baha'u'llah, the Day of God, and it is near to the day of the appearance of the Bab. (11:34)

"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever."[46] That angel refers to human souls who have been endowed with heavenly attributes and invested with an angelic nature and disposition. Voices will be lifted up and the appearance of the divine Manifestation will be proclaimed and noised abroad. It will be announced that this day is the day of the advent of the Lord of Hosts, and this Dispensation the merciful Dispensation of the Divine Providence. It has been promised and recorded in all the Sacred Books and Scriptures that in this Day of God His divine and spiritual sovereignty will be established, the world will be renewed, a fresh spirit will be breathed into the body of creation, the divine springtime will be ushered in, the clouds of mercy will rain down, the Sun of Truth will shine forth, the life-giving breezes will blow: The world of humanity will be arrayed in a new garment; the face of the earth will become even as the highest paradise; humanity will be educated; war, dissension, strife, and contention will vanish; truthfulness, uprightness, peace, and godliness will prevail; love, concord, and union will encompass the world; and God will rule forevermore- that is, a spiritual and everlasting sovereignty will be established. Such is the Day of God. For all the days which have come and gone were the days of Abraham, Moses, Christ, or of the other Prophets, but this day is the Day of God, inasmuch as the Sun of Truth will shine forth therein with the utmost intensity and radiance. (11:35)

"And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, saying, We give Thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and hast reigned."[47] In every Dispensation there have been twelve chosen ones: In the time of Joseph there were twelve brothers; in the time of Moses there were twelve heads or chiefs of the tribes; in the time of Christ there were twelve Apostles; and in the time of Muhammad there were twelve Imams. But in this glorious Revelation there are twenty-four such souls, double the number of all the others, for so does its greatness require. These holy souls are in the presence of God seated upon their thrones, meaning that they reign eternally. (11:36)

These twenty-four glorious souls, though they are established upon the throne of everlasting sovereignty, nonetheless bow down in adoration to, and are humble and submissive before, that universal Manifestation of God, saying, "We give Thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and hast reigned." That is, Thou wilt promulgate all Thy teachings, gather all the people of the earth under Thy shadow, and bring all men together under a single tabernacle. And although sovereignty has always belonged to God, and He has ever been and will forever continue to be the supreme Sovereign, the reference in this instance is to the sovereignty of the Manifestation of His own Self, Who will promulgate such laws and teachings as are the very spirit of the world of humanity and the cause of everlasting life. That universal Manifestation will subdue the world through a spiritual power, not through war and strife. He will array the world with peace and harmony, not with swords and spears. He will establish this divine sovereignty through genuine love, not through military might. He will promote these divine teachings through kindness and amity, not through violence and arms. Even though these nations and peoples are, in view of the divergence of their conditions, the disparity of their customs and characters, and the diversity of their religions and races, even as the wolf and the lamb, the leopard and the kid, and the sucking child and the asp, He will so educate them that they will embrace, consort with, and confide in each other. Racial antipathy, religious animosity, and national rivalries will be entirely effaced, and all will attain perfect fellowship and complete harmony under the shade of the Blessed Tree (11:37)

"And the nations were angry," for Thy teachings ran counter to the selfish desires of the other nations, "and Thy wrath is come,"[49] meaning that all suffered grievous loss for failing to follow Thy counsels, admonitions, and teachings; were deprived of grace everlasting; and were veiled from the light of the Sun of Truth. (11:38)

"And the time of the dead, that they should be judged" means that the time has come that the dead- that is, those who are deprived of the spirit of the love of God and bereft of that life which is holy and everlasting- should be judged with equity, meaning that each should be raised up according to their worthiness and capacity, and that the truth should be fully divulged as to what depths of degradation they occupy in this world of existence and how they should, in reality, be accounted among the dead. (11:39)

"That Thou shouldest give reward unto Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear Thy name, small and great"; that is, that Thou wilt single out the righteous for Thy boundless grace, cause them to shine even as heavenly stars above the horizon of ancient glory, and aid them to show forth such conduct and character as to illumine the world of humanity and to become the means of guidance and the source of everlasting life in the divine Kingdom. (11:40)

"And shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth".That is, Thou wilt entirely deprive the heedless; for the blindness of the blind will be exposed and the sight of them that see will become evident; the ignorance and folly of the exponents of error will be recognized and the knowledge and wisdom of the rightly guided will be manifested; and thus the destroyers will be destroyed. (11:41)

"And the temple of God was opened in heaven."This means that the divine Jerusalem has appeared and the Holy of Holies has become manifest. Among the people of true knowledge, the Holy of Holies refers to the essence of the religion of God and His true teachings, which have remained unchanged throughout all the prophetic Dispensations, as was explained previously, while Jerusalem encompasses the reality of the religion of God, which is the Holy of Holies, as well as all the laws, mutual relationships, rites, and material ordinances, which constitute the city. That is why it is called the heavenly Jerusalem. Briefly, in the course of the Dispensation of the Sun of Truth, the lights of God will shine forth with the utmost splendour, and thus the essence of the divine teachings will be realized in the world of being, the darkness of ignorance and folly will be dispelled, the world will become another world, spiritual illumination will encompass all, and hence the Holy of Holies will appear. (11:42)

"And the temple of God was opened in heaven." This means also that through the dissemination of these divine teachings, the disclosure of these heavenly mysteries, and the dawning of the Sun of Truth, the portals of progress and advancement will be flung open on all sides and the signs of celestial blessings and bestowals will be made manifest. (11:43)

"And there was seen in His temple the ark of His Testament."This means that the Book of His Covenant will appear in His Jerusalem, the Tablet of the Testament will be recorded, and the meaning of the Covenant and Testament will become evident. The call of God will resound throughout East and West, and the earth will be filled with the renown of the Cause of God. The violators of the Covenant will be humbled and abased, and the faithful will attain honour and glory, for they hold fast to the Book of the Covenant and are firm and unwavering in the path of the Testament. (11:44)

"And there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail",[56] meaning that after the appearance of the Book of the Covenant there will be a great tempest, the lightning of divine anger and wrath will flash, the thunder of the violation of the Covenant will break, the tremor of doubt will shake the earth, the hail of torments will rain upon the violators of the Covenant, and those who claim to believe will be subjected to tests and trials. (11:45)
 
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