Why Was 1844 the Most Critical Date in History?

The following is the most beautiful and touching of all Jesus’ parables. Like an ocean, it contains countless pearls of meanings, mysteries, and wonders. It describes in a vivid language the spiritual state of Christians, called young women or “virgins,” who live in the last days, and their response to the news of the Advent of their beloved Redeemer “the Bridegroom” who arrives in the darkness of the night, just “like a thief:”

At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil [spiritual wisdom] with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

At midnight the cry rang out: “Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.” “No,” they replied, “there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.” But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. “Sir! Sir!” they said. “Open the door for us!” But he replied, “I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.” Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.  Christ (Matthew 25:1-13)

Does history repeat itself in every age? Could many Christians, like those five foolish maidens waiting for the Bridegroom, miss Jesus because they are spiritually absent, because they lack wisdom to pay attention to the news of the coming of their Lord? Is it possible that they are just seeing the envelope, but failing to notice the message inside? Could Christians miss their Redeemer for the same reason that the Pharisees missed Him long ago? Could many believers of this age, like those five maidens, be short of “oil”? Could they have too little faith and desire to prepare themselves for their Lord?

It is faith that can enrich our lives. What happens if there is a shortage of faith? Jesus knew and predicted the decline of faith in our time. In a spirit of humility, each of us should ask: “Did Jesus have me in mind, when He said:”

At that time many will turn away from the faith…
Christ (Matt. 24:10)


What Happened in 1844?

Around the mid-19th century, Christian scholars, working independently in different parts of the world, discovered a specific number hidden throughout the Bible. It was 1844. They were sure this number pointed to the year of the return of Christ. Thousands prepared themselves for His glorious Return from the sky, but their hopes and dreams ended in bitter disappointment. They waited and looked, but saw no sign of their heavenly Passenger on the clouds. Their disappointment gave birth to a new church “the Seventh-day Adventist” that to this day has kept that heavenly hope alive.

Why did so many scholars, independently of each other, discover the same date? Because they worked with numbers, with a mathematical question. Give a mathematical problem to a hundred scientists, and they will most likely arrive at the same answer.

But the Bible does not consist only of mathematics. It contains many “figures of speech” or words and expressions with inner meanings.

I Shall Come Again, a recent publication, the first in a six volume series, presents 550 pages of evidence to show that history has indeed repeated itself. It presents overwhelming evidence to prove that Christian scholars who discovered 1844 to be the year of the “Return” of Jesus indeed had the correct date. They succeeded because they used their literal, “convergent minds,” to solve several mathematical problems. They were well prepared for dealing with numbers. They could drive through highways of literal thinking with ease and confidence, but they had no preparation for entering and walking through the rose gardens of metaphors and parables.

Even if you are totally literal-minded, you will benefit from reading I Shall Come Again, because it deals mostly with numbers, with simple mathematical questions.

Should every Christian read I Shall Come Again? Definitely! It presents a story the like of which you could not even imagine. It presents the greatest and most joyous News—the News that Christians have been waiting to hear for 2,000 years.

Both Jesus and Isaiah made this statement:

He has sent Me…to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.  Luke 4:19 also Isaiah 61:1-2

I Shall Come Again shows that God was faithful to His promises, that He specified the dawning of that glorious “year of the Lord’s favor” repeatedly. I Shall Come Again presents 16 time prophecies from both Testaments, and shows that all of them proclaim a single date: 1844 as the year of the Second Advent. “Let us reason together” (Isa. 1:18), our Lord asks us. Is it more reasonable to assume that those numbers lie to us 16 times in precisely the same way, or that they were placed in the Bible for a specific reason? Can investigating this great mystery prove harmful?

I Shall Come Again offers conclusive evidence to show that the phrase “coming down from the sky” is a simple metaphor, the kind that Jesus used routinely to communicate with His listeners day after day.

I have come down from the sky.
Christ (John 6:38)

Did history repeat itself again in the mid-19 century, in the year 1844? It may seem astonishing and even incredible, but the answer is an emphatic “yes!” Once again we have a Redeemer, like Jesus, endowed with infinite knowledge and wisdom. Once again we have a Redeemer who, despite His supreme Powers, stands with absolute love, gentleness, and humility before the lowliest of people. Once again we have a Redeemer who appears in two opposite ways. To the sleepers, He appears like “a thief” hidden in the dark and cloudy night of traditions and illusions, but to the awakened as the lightening that flashes from the East to the West.

Did anyone claim to be the “return” of Jesus in 1844? Yes, indeed! As there were two bright Figures “John the Baptist, and Jesus” in the first century, there were also two bright Figures in the 19th century: the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, titles that mean “the Gate of the Lord” and “the Glory of the Lord.”

This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter.  Psalms 118:20

Note how repeatedly the prophecies designate Jesus’ title at His Second Advent:

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.  Christ (Rev. 21:22-24)

For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory [glory of God]...  Christ (Matt. 16:27), See also Mark 8:38

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.  Habakkuk 2:14

And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it.  Isaiah 40:5

...as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.  Numbers 14:21

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.  Isaiah 60:1-2

How can we see God? Only with pure hearts.

Blessed are pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Matthew 5:8

“Seeing the Glory of God” just like “seeing God” requires special spiritual gifts?first and foremost is the gift of faith:

Did I not tell you that if you have faith you will see the glory of God?  Christ (John 11:40)

You may say to yourself: “I am sure I have faith in Jesus. I love Him and pray to Him all the time.” You may be right. No one can question your faith. Only God can do that. But in a spirit of humility remember once again Jesus’ prediction and ask yourself: “How do I know Jesus did not have me in mind when He said:”

When the Son of Man comes will he find faith on earth?  Luke 18:8

At that time many will turn away from the faith...  Matthew 24:10

You may also say, “Many people have falsely claimed to be the Return of Jesus, how can I be sure that Bahá’u’lláh, the Glory of God, is not just one of them?” Please ponder this point. In the entire history of human race there has never been a single human being who has accomplished even a fraction of these wonders, these marvelous works:

Consider the following statements, among hundreds of others, from impartial thinkers—two of them from United States Presidents, one from a Prime Minister of Great Britain, and one from a renowned scientist:

Bahá’í teachings on religious tolerance, the unity of mankind, the elimination of prejudice, equality of the sexes, and universal peace embody principles that all people of good-will admire and support...I join with you in praying that we may see the realization of these fundamental principles in every land.
_President George Bush

Yours has been a work of love. You have sown seeds of righteousness and justice, and humanity will reap rich harvests from your toil.
All thoughtful and farsighted men respect the mission of your Faith. For every one of us looks forward to the day when the earth will truly be one country—and mankind its citizens.
_President Lyndon B. Johnson

I have a clear vision of a multi-cultural Britain...British Bahá’ís make a significant contribution towards achieving this vision and we are a stronger, better country because of it. It is particularly important that we celebrate the contribution of the Bahá’í Faith to the stability and prosperity of British Society as a whole. I am very much encouraged by the vision the Bahá’í community demonstrates in recognizing the power of interfaith dialogue and the importance of all citizens fulfilling their potential. Your community has a vibrancy which is well demonstrated by the recent opening of the Bahá’í Gardens on Mount Carmel in Israel. It is an outstanding monument to your faith.
_Prime Minister, Tony Blair

In our times we can only survive, and our civilization can only flower, if we reorient the conventional wisdom and achieve the new insights...proclaimed by the Bahá’í Faith and...now also supported by the latest discoveries of the empirical sciences.
_Dr Ervin Laszlo, Editor of the World Encyclopedia of Peace, Renowned authority on systems sciences and world order

I Shall Come Again offers the Biblical evidence for the twin Redeemers of our time. It deals mostly with the fulfillment of 16 time prophecies—all of them pointing to 1844 as the year of the Advent. After reading that book with an impartial mind and a receptive heart, you will end up saying, “This is so amazing! Why did I not know about this Advent before? How can anyone not be moved by the overwhelming evidence that supports the claim of these twin Redeemers?”

I Shall Come Again is not “alone.” It has a sequel: Lord of Lords, a book that presents hundreds of Biblical prophecies about the events of the lives of the twin Redeemers: the Gate of the Lord, and the Glory of the Lord. And there is yet a third volume that presents still more prophecies. It is called King of Kings. These three volumes together cover more than 1,600 pages of evidence, all from the Bible.

After reading the first volume, you will very likely say to yourself: “The evidence for the Second Advent is far more conclusive than the evidence for the First.” When you read the second and the third volumes, you will discover a grand and glorious jigsaw puzzle the like of which you have never seen, nor one you could have imagined.

Seeing the precise fulfillment of hundreds of Biblical prophecies in the lives of the twin Redeemers of our time, the Gate of the Lord, and the Glory of the Lord, will lift your spirit, strengthen your faith, and confirm your hope in Jesus beyond your highest expectations.

Can you afford not to investigate this most joyous News? Will knowledge of this most remarkable event in human history cause you any harm or any disappointment? Will it diminish your faith?

What do you think happens in our hearts when we see the fulfillment of God’s promises? Our trust in God multiplies. We realize that God’s promises were not spoken in vain, that there is a Plan and a Purpose for the human race, that we are not moving towards destruction, that we are in God’s hand, and that we must do our share to implement His Plan.

Within the span of a century and a half, “the mustard seed” that was planted in 1844 has now become a shading and fruitful tree—a tree that holds under its shadow some six million people, among them Christians from all denominations, scholars and laity alike.

Some Christians may be afraid that they may lose their faith merely by investigating this seemingly incredible News. But the exact opposite is true. The experience of millions of people testifies to the fact that in knowledge there is strength, that in fulfillment there is hope and faith. I Shall Come Again, Lord of Lords, and King of Kings will strengthen your faith and fulfill your most glorious hopes and dreams. They will lay before your eyes a grand jigsaw puzzle with thousands of pieces. The amazing fact is this: they all fit together.

After seeing this most glorious picture, “the Spiritual Wisdom” that lay dormant within your soul may awaken and say: such a grand and glorious puzzle could not have happened by chance. Only God could have made such a perfect puzzle possible.

Please remember that according to the parable of the ten maidens, the Christians who missed Jesus also believed in Him and glorified Him. But they did not have an adequate supply of “oil” that would give them the inner light and wisdom to lead them to their Lord. They simply assumed that by saying, “My Lord and Savior is Jesus Christ!” they would be true Christians, that by being loyal to His name during their earthly life, they would be allowed to be with their Lord during their heavenly life. They thought that simply by thinking that they have faith, they would be saved. But their assumptions and thoughts were built on an empty hope and a vanishing dream, because faith without deeds—without obedience to Jesus’ commands and counsels—is dead.

Therefore, let us remember that according to the parable, when Jesus came, the foolish Christians were spiritually absent. They arrived too late for the Banquet; and when they pleaded with their Lord to let them into His heavenly Banquet, they heard this response:

I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.  Christ (Matt. 25:12)

When their Lord’s Banquet was held here in this world, they made no effort to enter. To their Lord, they were strangers and did not belong to His Household.

Should Christians who refuse to enter their Lord’s Banquet in this world be allowed to enter His Banquet in the next world? Should strangers be allowed into a Banquet if they do not know anyone, and have not been invited? God treats us the way we treat Him. If we ignore His presence in this life, He will ignore our presence thereafter.

There is a world of meaning—and sadness—in this question:

When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?  Christ (Luke 18:8)

Do you have enough faith to put your trust in God instead of placing it in tradition? Are you willing to read just one book that is capable of raising your faith and your trust in Jesus on a scale you cannot even imagine?

Are Christians of the twenty-first century as skeptical as the Jews of the first century? Do they lack as much faith as the Jews did? Would they disregard the fulfilled prophecies of the Second Advent even as the Jews disregarded the fulfilled prophecies of the First Advent?

You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.  Christ (John 5:39-40)

Will you act the way most people act when they encounter a new truth?

Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most then pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.  Winston Churchill

“Destiny is a matter of choice, not chance.” Our freedom of choice is God’s most precious gift to us. Should we waste this gift by assuming, without investigation, that the highway of destiny ends at a point determined by our ancient ancestors? Should we not extend the journey of the search for truth beyond their search? Should we fear “a road less traveled”? Should we attempt to gain our security from “the broad gate” and totally disregard “the narrow gate”? I invite you to see for yourself the new Mansion and the new Garden that our Lord has prepared for you. I invite you to come, even if it is for a short visit, to see its blooming flowers and towering trees.

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.  Christ (Rev. 22:17)

Here I stand knocking at the door; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and sit down to supper with him?  Christ (Rev. 3:20)

This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.  Christ (John 6:29)

Did Jesus come from the sky? We know He was born as a baby to Mary. Why then did He say:

I have come down from the sky.  Christ (John 6:38)

Could our promised Redeemer be born and make the same claim He made the first time? Who has the authority to decide that He could not?

God is my witness! The Promised One Himself [Bahá’u’lláh] hath come down from heaven, seated upon the crimson cloud with the hosts of revelation on His right, and the angels of inspiration on His left, and the Decree hath been fulfilled at the behest of God, the Omnipotent, the Almighty.1  Bahá’u’lláh, the Glory of God

He [Bahá’u’lláh], verily, hath again come down from heaven, even as He came down from it the first time.2  Bahá’u’lláh, the Glory of God


Words of Encouragement
from Former Christian Leaders

I Shall Come Again, Lord of Lords, and King of Kings prove with astonishing clarity that our Lord has already fulfilled His promise, that He returned in 1844, a date that is confirmed 16 times in the Bible. Anyone who has a desire to see the Bridegroom and enter His heavenly Banquet must take this one step: read, with an open heart, the convincing evidence presented in these volumes. I encourage all Catholics to test “the Spirit” of Bahá’u’lláh, the Glory of God, to see if it is the Spirit of Truth (I John 4:1).
_Lou Meyer, Former Catholic Priest

For centuries Christians and Jews have pondered this glorious prophecy of Isaiah: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace...He will reign on David’s throne and over His kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever” (9:6-7).

The entire world is now encompassed with uncertainty and fear. The cry for peace is heard constantly, and yet there is no peace. These volumes set forth God’s plan to remedy our greatest need at this critical juncture in history. The King of Kings has come and made His Kingdom available to all of us.

As one who has followed Him for more than forty years and experienced and witnessed His divine powers in transforming the hearts of humankind, I am pleased to recommend these volumes to any reader who will approach them with a seeking heart and an open mind. They present biblical evidence for the Advent of the only One who can save us from the impending dangers and calamities. In this work you will discover Bahá’u’lláh to be the King of Kings and Prince of Peace, who has come to establish God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. I invite all Christians and Jews to participate in building this most glorious Kingdom.
_Dr Jack E. McCants, Former Methodist Minister

By writing these volumes, Dr Motlagh has made a momentous contribution to our understanding of biblical prophecy. As a former Baptist minister, I urge all Christians to investigate the news of the Return of our Lord as presented in I Shall Come Again, Lord of Lords, and King of Kings. “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you” (Isa. 60:1).
_Mel Campbell, Former Baptist Minister

…a labor of love, and a work of over three decades of research. This is the most challenging and the best documented work on the fulfillment of a divine Promise uttered again and again since the dawn of history. Its message is timely, its proofs convincing, and its purpose divine—one that can lift and join the heart of humanity to the Heart of God. It should be read and reread by anyone gifted with an inquisitive and open mind—anyone who believes in reason, has faith in God’s promises, and desires to see their fulfillment. “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40).
_Paul Jacobi, Former Catholic Priest

The message presented in these volumes should appeal to every Christian and every Jew. They prove the realization of a most glorious dream: the fulfillment of a hope and a promise affirmed more than a thousand times in the Bible. They appeal to reason and apply scientific methods to scriptural prophecies to prove that once again God has spoken to humanity, that He has expressed His love and His grace by sending His Son in the Glory of the Father. Let me share this quotation from the Bahá’í Scriptures with all Christians and Jews: “All the signs have been revealed; every prophetic allusion hath been manifested. Whatever hath been enshrined in all the Scriptures of the past hath been made evident.”
_Elrico Evans, Former Baptist Minister

The Bahá’í Faith today presents the Christian Churches with the most tremendous challenge ever offered them in their long history: a challenge, and an opportunity. It is the plain duty of every earnest Christian...to investigate for himself with an open and fearless mind the purpose and the teachings of this Faith...O, Christian believers!...cast away your conflicting dogmas and interpretations which have caused such disunity...Recognize Christ in the glory and power of the Father, and heart and soul, throw yourselves into His Cause.
_George Townshend, Former Episcopal Minister

From a Talk Delivered by a Former Pastor, Paul Jones,
at a Bahá’í Conference in Nashville, Tennessee

I was a minister of a prominent denomination. Last year...I came across a Website...that had a link to the Bahá’í Faith...I put it in the bookmarks on my Web browser. Last June I...decided to click on it again...and I started reading and reading. It showed the words of Bahá’u’lláh, and I know it may seem strange...I felt the presence of God...

On July 11, I kept praying and saying: “Lord, is this really what you want me to do?” That night I had a dream. In this dream, Jesus came towards me, looked at me, and said, “This is it!”

On July 12 I learned that there was going to be a worship service, sponsored by Bahá’ís in Knoxville, Tennessee. I got up that morning and said, “I’m going, and I’m going to declare my faith in Bahá’u’lláh!” I walked in. Bahá’ís had a wonderful devotional. Later, a man asked, “Is anyone ready to declare?” I said: “Yes, I am! I’m ready to declare!” My life has never been the same! It has been revolutionized?


About the Work

The Three-Volume Series
On Fulfilled Prophecies

Your work is the best I’ve seen on biblical prophecies and proofs of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation. You offer so much information in relatively few pages. Your many references prove clearly the book’s central claim. Your language is simple and exciting. You take the reader through a complete spiritual and prophetic adventure. Your approach is modest, yet dynamic. I pray it will excite all your readers as it has excited me.
_Joe Killeen, Bible Scholar with a Degree in Eschatology and Soteriology

There are few works by a single author that can rival Dr Motlagh’s in their sheer scope, depth and thoroughness of scholarship. Without doubt, future Bahá’ís will thank Dr Motlagh for his achievements, that are, in my opinion, not only astonishing—they are heroic.

An important work that will be referenced by future Bahá’í scholars for millennia to come.
_Robert F. Riggs, Aerospace and Marine Scientist, Inventor, and Author of The Apocalypse Unsealed


A Brief Review of the Contents of:


I Shall Come Again
Lord of Lords
King of Kings
Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
Will Jesus Come from the Sky or as a Thief?



I Shall Come Again


522 Pages
Volume I

That is the day when I come like a thief. Happy the man who stays awake.
Christ (Rev. 16:15)

Do not let Him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: “Watch!”
Christ (Mark 13:36)

Did you know that the Bible contains 16 time prophecies concerning the year of the Second Advent? No wonder so many scholars discovered the same date. Did you also know that all those 16 prophecies point to the same year: 1844? Bahá’ís believe that the promise of the Second Advent has already been fulfilled, precisely as predicted. Christ did return in 1844, “like a thief,” in a way that the News of His coming did not draw much attention. And as the Book of Revelation predicts, God gave Him a new name: Bahá’u’lláh, meaning the Glory of God.

Obviously we expect you to be very skeptical, but we invite you to stay spiritually awake, to “watch,” to pay close attention, and to investigate this most glorious News. How can you do this? Start your search by examining the evidence presented in I Shall Come Again, the first of a six-volume series on the fulfillment of biblical prophecies by Bahá’u’lláh, the Glory of God.

I Shall Come Again, written after three decades of research, takes you step by step through 16 prophecies that point to 1844, and hundreds of other prophecies, concerning the return of Christ. It proves how these prophecies, without exception, were fulfilled by Bahá’u’lláh (the Glory of God) and His martyred Herald, the Báb (the Gate), who appeared in 1844. I Shall Come Again is one of the most fascinating books of our time. If you have faith in God?s promises and a desire to know the truth, you will receive incomparable joy and hope from reading it.

Imagine if the News of the Return of Jesus is true and you choose not to investigate and not to know Him! Imagine also if the News of His Return is true and your investigation leads you to recognize Him!

I shall come again and receive you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.
Christ (John 14:3)

“He, verily, is come with His Kingdom, and all the atoms cry aloud: ‘Lo! The Lord is come in His great majesty!’”3 Behold how He hath come down from the heaven of His grace, girded with power and invested with sovereignty. Is there any doubt concerning His signs?”4
Bahá’u’lláh (the Glory of God)



Lord of Lords


634 Pages
Volume II

This volume presents hundreds of biblical prophecies concerning the Central Figures of the Bahá’í Faith—the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—as well as Shoghi Effendi (the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith), the Universal House of Justice (the supreme administrative body in the Bahá’í Faith), the Bahá’ís (the followers of Bahá’u’lláh), the Bahá’í teachings, and the Book of Bahá’í Laws (The Kitáb-i-Aqdas).

Lord of Lords presents six fulfillments for Daniel’s prophecy of 1335, and shows their connection to the Bahá’í Faith. The book also presents 86 similarities between Jesus and the Báb, who is called “One like a Son of Man.”

Christian scholars often apply the statistical laws to the prophecies of Hebrew Scriptures to prove the divine station of Jesus. Lord of Lords applies the same laws to the prophecies of both Hebrew and Christian Scriptures to prove the divine station of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh.

Lord of Lords shows that the probability of biblical prophecies coming true in the Bahá’í Faith by chance alone is about 1 in 1080. The number 1080 is equal to the number of atoms in the known universe! What does this evidence indicate? It indicates that if anyone could pick a specific atom in the universe by chance, he could then claim that the biblical prophecies fulfilled in the Bahá’í Faith also happened by chance! The proof presented in this volume is so compelling it can convince even the most skeptic seeker!

...the desire of all nations shall come...
Haggai 2:7

He who is the Desired One is come in His transcendent majesty...Better is this for you than all ye possess.5
Bahá’u’lláh

For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father...
Christ (Matthew 16:27)

I have come in the shadows of the clouds of glory, and am invested by God with invincible sovereignty.6
Bahá’u’lláh (the Glory of God)




King of Kings


510 Pages
Volume III

This is the third of the six-volume series. This volume also presents hundreds of biblical prophecies concerning the advent of the Bahá’í Faith. Four of its chapters show that, contrary to what most people—both Christians and Jews—believe, the Bible predicts suffering and severe persecution for the Redeemer of our time. King of Kings also presents many prophecies, in the course of two chapters, to show that according to both testaments, the title of the Redeemer of our age (known to Christians as the Second Coming of Christ and to the Jews as the Messiah) is “the Glory of God,” the English translation of the original title “Bahá’u’lláh.”

A chapter discusses the many reasons why people deny and persecute their promised Messenger and Redeemer in every age, and then later claim that if they had lived at the time of His Advent they would not be among the deniers!

Many Christians expect the coming of the Antichrist. King of Kings presents two chapters to show the fulfillment of this expectation by two deceptive figures who opposed Bahá’u’lláh, the Glory of God, with all their might, and tried in vain to destroy Him and establish themselves as the Central Figures of the Bahá’í Faith.

I Shall Come Again, Lord of Lords, and King of Kings prove that once again God has spoken to humanity, that He has fulfilled His promises, and has manifested His great glory and power by sending two supreme Messengers and Redeemers—Bahá’u’lláh, and His martyred Herald, the Báb—to guide our bewildered world to unity, peace, and justice, and to lead our wandering souls to His heavenly Mansions. Not investigating this Message of hope and fulfillment is to deprive yourself of the very source of all wisdom and the very purpose of coming to this world.

I have come down from heaven...
Christ (John 6:38)

Say, God is my witness! The Promised One Himself [Bahá’u’lláh] hath come down from heaven...with the hosts of revelation on His right, and the angels of inspiration on His left...7
Bahá’u’lláh (the Glory of God)

Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake...
Christ (Rev. 16:15)

Blessed the slumberer who is awakened...Blessed the ear that hath heard, and the eye that hath seen and recognized the Lord Himself…8
Bahá’u’lláh (the Glory of God)




Come Now, Let Us Reason Together


286 Pages

This book is written in response to the objections raised by a pastor against the Bahá’í Faith. It removes all the main obstacles that prevent Christians from recognizing the return of the Son in the glory of the Father, from acknowledging the promised Redeemer of our time—Bahá’u’lláh, the Glory of God. Once you start reading this book, you will find it hard to put down.




Will Jesus Come
from the Sky or
as a Thief?

Be always on the watch!
Luke 21:36

The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
I Thess. 5:2

In the mid-19th century many Christian scholars had discovered that, according to numerous biblical prophecies and promises, Christ would return in 1844. Thousands of Christians around the world expected His Return in that year. Why did so many discover the same date? And what piece of “the prophetic puzzle” did they miss? Let us explore this critical question.

Jesus declared that He would return “like a thief.” He also repeatedly warned us to “Watch!” How does a thief come? Secretly. A thief does not want to draw attention to himself. This is his foremost concern. How can we catch a thief? By being awake and “watchful,” by “paying attention” to his coming. Jesus’ warning that He would return “like a thief,” and His recommended strategy for recognizing Him by staying awake and by “watching” for Him, are complementary:

The warning:
I shall come like a thief!

The way to recognize me:
Watch, pay close attention!
Do not be complacent!

What, then, did Jesus mean by warning us repeatedly and emphatically to “Watch!”? He meant: “Pay close attention to the news of My coming!” You are now receiving that news and are being invited to look into it, to pay attention to the fulfillment of God’s most glorious promise: the coming of the Lord in the clouds of glory.

How did Jesus come the first time? Like a thief. He walked among the Jews. He knew every one of them, but with a few exceptions, they did not know Him. Jesus concealed His supreme glory from “the strangers,” from all those who were unworthy of seeing the Spirit of God in Him (John 12:40), from all those who “may look and look but see nothing” (Mark 10:12). Only the spiritually-sighted paid close attention to Him, only they “watched” with their hearts and souls, and only they saw the glory of God in Him. Jesus did not allow the spiritually blind to witness His divine glory.

By the vivid expression “like a thief ” Jesus instructs us to expect a repetition of the way He came the first time. He further confirms this fact by predicting that people will respond to the News of His coming the same way that they responded to the News of the coming of Noah. They will be complacent, non-attentive, negligent, and spiritually asleep!

What piece of “the prophetic puzzle” did Christians (who expected the Return of Christ in 1844) miss? The same “piece” that the Jews had missed 18 centuries earlier and are still missing! That piece is the word “SPIRIT:”

The “missing piece” for Jews:
He will come as a “king” means:
“His Spirit will come as a king.”

The “missing piece” for Christians:
He will come from “heaven” means:
“His Spirit will come from heaven”

Jesus Himself decoded the word “sky” or “heaven” several times. Compare the following two verses, one from Jesus Christ, the Anointed One of God; the other from Bahá’u’lláh, the Glory of God:

I [the Spirit of God, Christ] have come down from heaven.
Christ (John 6:38)

He [the Spirit of God, Bahá’u’lláh], verily, hath again come down from heaven, even as He came down from it the first time.9
Bahá’u’lláh (the Glory of God)

Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablet to Christians

Bahá’u’lláh wrote an Epistle containing His strongest and most urgent appeals to Christians to investigate His claim. This section contains most of Bahá’u’lláh’s Epistle—called The Most Holy Tablet—along with biblical references offered by the present author in the footnotes. You may wish to read the Epistle twice, once without looking at the footnotes and again with the footnotes.

As you read it, see if you can remember anyone who has spoken with the power and authority with which Bahá’u’lláh speaks. Look through any sacred Scripture and see if you can find any epistle like it. It is endowed with an unprecedented power and authority. Only God speaks in this language.

Fear, emotionalism, and attachment to names and numbers cause two short-circuits; one in the heart, the other in the mind. The short-circuit in our hearts prevents us from responding with our “spiritual instinct” to the Word of God. The short-circuit in our minds prevents us from reasoning or thinking in a rational way. Mending these short-circuits are the two challenges every seeker of truth faces.

The Word of God is so supreme, so distinguished, that it shines as brightly as the sun. Can anyone with good eyes fail to see the sun? Bahá’u’lláh testifies to the distinction of divine Word:

Behold, how lofty is the station, and how consummate the virtue, of these verses which He hath declared to be His surest testimony, His infallible proof, the evidence of His all-subduing power, and a revelation of the potency of His will. He, the divine King, hath proclaimed the undisputed supremacy of the verses of His Book over all things that testify to His truth. For compared with all other proofs and tokens, the divinely-revealed verses shine as the sun, whilst all others are as stars. To the peoples of the world they are the abiding testimony, the incontrovertible proof, the shining light of the ideal King. Their excellence is unrivaled, their virtue nothing can surpass. They are the treasury of the divine pearls and the depository of the divine mysteries…Through them floweth the river of divine knowledge, and gloweth the fire of His ancient and consummate wisdom.10

Bahá’u’lláh did not attend school, yet He wrote the equivalent of a hundred volumes, without hesitation or a change of mind! This is not a secret or private miracle, but one visible for all to see for all time.

Once again, Bahá’u’lláh points to the Word of God as the ultimate evidence:

Therefore, should a person arise and bring forth a myriad verses, discourses, epistles, and prayers, none of which have been acquired through learning, what conceivable excuse could justify those that reject them, and deprive themselves of the potency of their grace? What answer could they give when once their soul hath ascended and departed from its gloomy temple? Could they seek to justify themselves by saying: “We have clung to a certain tradition, and not having beheld the literal fulfillment thereof, we have therefore…kept remote from the law of God?”11

Read the following Epistle from Bahá’u’lláh with your heart and soul. Ponder its meaning. Allow your “spiritual instinct” to respond. Let your soul bask in its beauty, power, and uniqueness. Try to remember if you have ever heard or seen any human being speak in this language.


The Most Holy Tablet (Note 1)

In the name of the Lord, the Lord of great glory.

Say, O followers of the Son! (Note 2) Have ye shut out yourselves from Me by reason of My Name? Wherefore ponder ye not in your hearts? Day and night ye have been calling upon your Lord, the Omnipotent, but when He [Bahá’u’lláh] came from the heaven of eternity in His great glory, ye turned aside from him...

Consider those who rejected the Spirit (Note 3) when He came unto them with manifest dominion. How numerous the Pharisees who had secluded themselves in synagogues in His name, lamenting over their separation from Him, and yet when the portals of reunion were flung open...they disbelieved in God, the Exalted, the Mighty. They failed to attain His presence, notwithstanding that His advent had been promised them in the Book of Isaiah as well as in the Books of the Prophets and the Messengers. No one from among them turned his face towards the Dayspring of divine bounty except such as were destitute of any power amongst men. And yet, today, every man endowed with power and invested with sovereignty prideth himself on His Name. Moreover, call thou to mind the one who sentenced Jesus to death. He was the most learned of His age in His own country, (Note 4) whilst he who was only a fisherman (Note 5) believed in Him. Take good heed and be of them that observe the warning.

...We, verily, have come for your sakes, and have borne the misfortunes of the world for your salvation. Flee ye the One Who hath sacrificed His life that ye may be quickened? Fear God, O followers of the Spirit, and walk not in the footsteps of every divine [religious leader] that hath gone far astray. Do ye imagine that He seeketh His own interests, when He hath, at all times, been threatened by the swords of the enemies; or that He seeketh the vanities of the world, after He hath been imprisoned in the most desolate of cities? Be fair in your judgment and follow not the footsteps of the unjust.

...Say: We, in truth, have opened unto you the gates of the Kingdom. Will ye bar the doors of your houses in My face? This indeed is naught but a grievous error. He, verily, hath again come down from heaven, even as He came down from it the first time. (Note 6) Beware lest ye dispute that which He proclaimeth, even as the people before you disputed His utterances. Thus instructeth you the True One, could ye but perceive it.

...the Burning Bush calleth aloud: “He Who is the Desired One is come in His transcendent majesty.” Say, Lo! The Father is come, (Note 7) 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.” (Note 8) 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. Take ye fast hold of it. Better is this for you than all that ye possess. Verily He is nigh unto them that do good. The Hour which We had concealed from the knowledge of the peoples of the earth and of the favored angels hath come to pass. (Note 9) Say, verily, He hath testified of Me, and I do testify of Him. (Note 10) Indeed, He hath purposed no one other than Me. Unto this beareth witness every fair-minded and understanding soul.

Though beset with countless afflictions, We summon the people unto God, the Lord of names. Say, strive ye to attain that which ye have been promised in the Books of God, and walk not in the way of the ignorant. My body hath endured imprisonment that ye may be released from the bondage of self. Set your faces then towards His countenance and follow not the footsteps of every hostile oppressor. Verily, He hath consented to be sorely abased that ye may attain unto glory, and yet, ye are disporting yourselves in the vale of heedlessness. He, in truth, liveth in the most desolate of abodes for your sakes, whilst ye dwell in your palaces.

...Lo! He is come in the sheltering shadow of Testimony, invested with conclusive proof and evidence, and those who truly believe in Him regard His presence as the embodiment of the Kingdom of God. Blessed is the man who turneth towards Him, and woe betide such as deny or doubt Him.

Announce thou unto the priests: Lo! He Who is the Ruler is come. Step out from behind the veil in the name of thy Lord, He Who layeth low the necks of all men. Proclaim then unto all mankind the glad-tidings of this mighty, this glorious Revelation. Verily, He Who is the Spirit of Truth is come to guide you unto all truth. He speaketh not as prompted by His own self, but as bidden by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. (Note 11)

Say, this is the One Who hath glorified the Son (Note 12) and hath exalted His Cause. Cast away, O peoples of the earth, that which ye have and take fast hold of that which ye are bidden by the All-Powerful, He Who is the Bearer of the Trust of God. Purge ye your ears and set your hearts towards Him that ye may hearken to the most wondrous Call which hath been raised from Sinai...

O concourse of priests! Leave the bells, and come forth, then, from your churches. It behoveth you, in this day, to proclaim aloud the Most Great Name among the nations. Prefer ye to be silent, whilst every stone and every tree shouteth aloud: “The Lord (Note 13) is come in His great glory!”? Well is it with the man who hasteneth unto Him. Verily, he is numbered among them whose names will be eternally recorded (Note 14) and who will be mentioned by the Concourse on High. Thus hath it been decreed by the Spirit in this wondrous Tablet. He that summoneth men in My name is, verily, of Me, and he will show forth that which is beyond the power of all that are on earth. Follow ye the Way of the Lord and walk not in the footsteps of them that are sunk in heedlessness. Well is it with the slumberer who is stirred by the Breeze of God and ariseth from amongst the dead, directing his steps towards the Way of the Lord. Verily, such a man is regarded, in the sight of God, the True One, as a jewel amongst men and is reckoned with the blissful.

Say: In the East the light of His Revelation hath broken; in the West have appeared the signs of His dominion. (Note 15) Ponder this in your hearts, O people, and be not of those who have turned a deaf ear to the admonitions of Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Praised. Let the Breeze of God awaken you. Verily, it hath wafted over the world. Well is it with him that hath discovered the fragrance thereof and been accounted among the well-assured.

O concourse of bishops! Ye are the stars of the heaven of My knowledge. My mercy desireth not that ye should fall upon the earth. My justice, however, declareth: “This is that which the Son hath decreed.” And whatsoever hath proceeded out of His blameless, His truth-speaking, trustworthy mouth, can never be altered. (Note 16) The bells, verily, peal out My Name, and lament over Me, but My spirit rejoiceth with evident gladness. The body of the Loved One yearneth for the cross, and His head is eager for the spear in the path of the All-Merciful. The ascendancy of the oppressor can in no wise deter Him from His purpose. We have summoned all created things to attain the presence of thy Lord, the King of all names. Blessed is the man that hath set his face towards God, the Lord of the Day of Reckoning.

O concourse of monks! If ye choose to follow Me, I will make you heirs of My kingdom; and if ye transgress against Me, I will, in My long-suffering, endure it patiently, and I, verily, am the Ever-forgiving, the All-Merciful…

I never passed a tree but Mine heart addressed it saying: “O would that thou wert cut down in My Name, and My body crucified upon thee.”...

Say: Blessed the slumberer who is awakened by My Breeze. (Note 17) Blessed the lifeless one who is quickened through My reviving breaths. Blessed the eye that is solaced by gazing at My beauty. Blessed the wayfarer who directeth his steps towards the Tabernacle of My glory and majesty. Blessed the distressed one who seeketh refuge beneath the shadow of My canopy. Blessed the sore athirst who hasteneth to the soft-flowing waters of My loving-kindness. Blessed the insatiate soul who casteth away his selfish desires for love of Me and taketh his place at the banquet table (Note 18) which I have sent down from the heaven of divine bounty for My chosen ones. Blessed the abased one who layeth fast hold on the cord of My glory; and the needy one who entereth beneath the shadow of the Tabernacle of My wealth. Blessed the ignorant one who seeketh the fountain of My knowledge; and the heedless one who cleaveth to the cord of My remembrance. Blessed the soul that hath been raised to life through My quickening breath and hath gained admittance into My heavenly Kingdom. Blessed the man whom the sweet savors of reunion with Me have stirred and caused to draw nigh unto the Dayspring of My Revelation. Blessed the ear that hath heard and the tongue that hath borne witness and the eye that hath seen and recognized the Lord Himself, in His great glory and majesty, invested with grandeur and dominion...Upon him rest My mercy, My loving-kindness, My bounty and My glory.12 Bahá’u’lláh



Notes

Note 1: The footnotes do not belong to the original text. They are added by this author as an aid to those who may wish to study the links between Bahá’u’lláh’s Words and the Bible. Top

Note 2: Perhaps a reference to the passage: “No one knows the Son [Jesus] except the Father...” (Matt. 11:27). Top

Note 3: The Spirit of God, a title bestowed on Christ, in both the Islamic and the Bahá’í Scriptures. Top

Note 4: Most likely Bahá’u’lláh refers to Annas, who was the most prestigious, influential, and learned religious leader among the Jews at the time of Jesus. He served as the high priest and had several sons who also occupied that position. His son-in-law (Caiaphas) was the presiding high priest at the trial of Jesus. Because of Annas’ prestige, Jesus was first led to him for a preliminary trial and then to Caiaphas. Annas and Caiaphas pronounced the same verdict: death. Caiaphas said: “it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish” (John 11:50). Top

Note 5: Peter. Top

Note 6: Most likely Bahá’u’lláh refers to these verses:

I [Jesus] have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me...They [the Jews] said, “Surely this is Jesus son of Joseph; we know his father and mother. How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” (John 6:38,42).

Top

Note 7: “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father...” (Matthew 16:27). Top

Note 8: “I [Jesus] have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now” (John 16:12). Top

Note 9: “I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee” (Revelation 3:3, Also Mark 13:32).

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father (Matthew 24:36). Top

Note 10: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me” (John 15:26). Top

Note 11: “When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak...” (John 16:13). Top

Note 12: ...when he, the Spirit of truth, comes...He will bring glory to me [Christ]...” (John 16:13-14).

The deepest wisdom which the sages have uttered, the profoundest learning which any mind hath unfolded, the arts which the ablest hands have produced, the influence exerted by the most potent of rulers, are but manifestations of the quickening power released by His [Jesus’] transcendent, His all-pervasive, and resplendent Spirit.

We testify that when He came into the world, He shed the splendor of His glory upon all created things. Bahá’u’lláh (Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 85-86). Top

Note 13: “Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’” (Luke 13:35). Top

Note 14: Revelation 2:15; 21:27. Top

Note 15: “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:27). Top

Note 16: Most likely Bahá’u’lláh refers to this prophecy: “...and the stars shall fall from heaven...” (Matthew 24:29).

Bahá’u’lláh states that stars symbolize religious leaders. They “fall” when they fail to turn to the new Source of Light. For biblical evidence, see In the Clouds of Glory. Top

Note 17: “Be alert, be wakeful. You do not know when the moment comes. It is like a man away from home: he has left his house and put his servants in charge, each with his own work to do, and he has ordered the doorkeeper to stay awake. Keep awake, then, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming. Evening or midnight, cock-crow or early dawn—if he comes suddenly, he must not find you asleep. And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Keep awake” (Mark 13:33-37). Top

Note 18: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them” (Matt. 22:2-6, see also Matt. 25:1-13). “Blessed is the man who will sit at the feast in the kingdom of God” (Luke 14:15). Top



References

1. Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 182.
2. Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 11.
3. The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 27.
4. Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 45.
5. Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 11.
6. Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 101.
7. Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 182.
8. Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 16-17.
9. Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 11.
10. The Kitáb-i-Íqán, p. 205.
11. The Kitáb-i-Íqán, p. 220.
12. Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 9-17.

To find other biblical topics related to the Bahá’í Faith, click on Pamphlets.