to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. Bahaism asserts
that "the promises and prophecies given in the Holy Scriptures have been
fulfilled by the appearance of the Prince of the Universe, the great
Baha Ullah and of Abdul Baha."[189] A volume would be necessary to
review their treatment of the prophecies. They quote a multitude of
verses without proof that their applications are valid. The "messenger"
and "Elijah" of the Book of Malachi are declared to be the Bab.[190] He
is also the Angel with the sound of the trumpet (Rev. iv. 1) and his
cycle is the "First Resurrection." Baha is declared to be the
fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecies. Of chapter ix. 1-6, "unto us a child
is born, ... the Prince of Peace." Dealy says: "Many misguided people
have referred this to Jesus Christ."[191] In verse 1, "Galilee of the
nations," land of Zebulun and Naphtali, is made to mean Acca (Acre in
Syria) where Baha lived in exile, and not the region of Christ's
ministry, contradicting Matthew iv. 13-16. By a great stretch of
imagination Acca[192] becomes Jerusalem, "the city of the great king"
(Ps. xlviii. 12), and Mount Carmel becomes Mount Zion, and Isaiah ii. 3
refers to them, "for out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of
the Lord from Jerusalem." Even "the root out of Jesse"[193] and the
millennial peace are only partially referred to Christ. They find the
real fulfillment in Baha Ullah, whom they imagine to be descended from
Abraham, through an imaginary descendant of his named Jesse.[194] The
new covenant and the law written on the heart is again the Bahai
dispensation, contrary to Hebrews viii. 8, 10, 16. When Baha as a
prisoner in chains rode into Acca seated on an ass, he fulfilled
Zechariah ix. 9.[195]
I attended a Bahai meeting in the Masonic Temple in Chicago. The leader
read the following verses as all fulfilled in Bahaism.[196] The "son of
man" (Dan. vii.) was Abdul Baha, and the "Ancient of Days," Baha. The
question of Proverbs xxx. 3, "What is his name and what his son's name?"
was answered, Baha and Abdul Baha; similarly in Psalms lxxii. and ii.,
"The King" and the "King's Son." The "Branch" (Zech. vi. 12-13) who
shall build the temple was again Abdul Baha, and the latter is specially
urgent that the Bahai Temple in Chicago should be built in his day, so
that the prophecy may appear to be fulfilled. The dates in Daniel are
juggled with. For example, Abdul Baha explains Daniel viii. by taking
the _solar_ year. He calculates[197] that the 2,300 days were completed
at the Bab's manifestation in 1844. In Daniel xii. 6 the _lunar_[198]
year is resorted to, and the forty-two months (1,260 years) are dated
from the hegira of Mohammed, but Daniel xii. 11 does not come exactly
right, so the _terminus a quo_ is made to be the proclamation of the
prophethood of Mohammed, three years after his mission, which was ten
years before the hegira. By this means the date of Baha's manifestation
(1863) is reached. In connection with Daniel xii. and Revelation xi. we
have the startling information, so contradictory to history, that "in
the beginning of the seventh century after Christ, when Jerusalem was
conquered, the Holy of Holies was outwardly preserved, that is to say,
the house which Solomon built. The Holy of Holies was preserved,
guarded, and respected."[199] On this alleged fact Abdul Baha founds an
argument.[200] Prophecies referring to the glory of God or of the Father
are applied to Baha, because his title means "glory of God." The Bab,
according to the custom in Persia, gave many high-sounding titles.
Baha's rival was called "The Dawn of the Eternal." Voliva, the successor
of Dowie, might assume some fitting title and claim to fulfill the
prophecies. He has a good foundation for interpretation, he does really
live in Zion City (Illinois). Our Bahais further tell us that the "New
Jerusalem," the new heaven and the new earth, mean the new dispensation,
the new laws of Baha. This is now "the day of God," "the day of
judgment," "the kingdom of God," "the second resurrection."[201] The
parable of the vineyard is a favourite proof text. It says that the Lord
of the vineyard will come _himself_ and will utterly destroy the wicked
husbandmen. This, they say, is a real coming of the Father, even as the
Son came. In that case the destroying must be real, and we should expect
that Baha would have destroyed the religious leaders of Mecca or
Kerbela, Jerusalem or Rome. "No," says the Bahai, "the destroying is
figurative, and means simply the abrogation of their authority." Well,
if he escapes to a figurative interpretation, we too can interpret the
coming of the Lord of the Vineyard as his visitation on Jerusalem in the
time of Titus.
Baha Ullah's method of interpretation and adaptation of prophecies is
best seen in his "Ikan." In it he interprets at length Matthew
xxiv.[202] In brief it is as follows: "After the tribulation of those
days" means times of difficulty in understanding God's word and
attaining divine knowledge; "the sun shall be darkened and the moon
cease to give light," that is the teachings and the ordinances of the
preceding dispensation shall lose their influence and efficiency. "The
stars shall fall," etc., means the divines shall fall from the knowledge
of religion, and the powers of science and religion shall be shaken.
Because of the absence of the Son of Divine Beauty, the moon of
knowledge, and the stars of intuitive wisdom, "all the tribes of the
earth shall mourn." "They shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds
of heaven," that is Baha Ullah shall appear from the heaven of the
Supreme Will, outwardly from his mother's womb. "In the clouds" means in
doubts which are caused by the human limitations of the Manifestation,
eating, drinking, marrying, etc. "And he shall send his angels," the
spiritual believers sent as preachers of Baha. The separation of the
sheep from the goats, as we learn subsequently, means the schism at the
death of Baha, when the violators, the brothers of Abdul Baha and their
adherents, were exscinded.[203] Even granting an allegorical
interpretation of Christ's words, only a stretch of imagination can find
any reference to Baha.
It should be borne in mind that Oriental Bahai writers have read Keith
on Prophecy in Persian and the publications of the Mission Press at
Beirut. Abdul Baha said to Dr. H. H. Jessup, "I am familiar with the
books of your press."[204] M. Abul Fazl refers to and quotes them.
Writers in English (as Kheiralla, Remey, Dealy, and Brittingham) refer
to Miller, Cummings, Seiss, Guinness, and others. Yet with all their
familiarity with apocalyptic literature, they make an exceedingly weak
presentation. Their claims are so baseless as to require no refutation.
They are a mass of unfounded assertions and assumptions,--vain, bold,
and brazen. We may admit the declarations of Baha and Abul Fazl, which
are but trite principles of hermeneutics, that figurative and
allegorical language abounds in the Scriptures, that many meanings are
"sealed" till after their fulfillment, that the prophecies of the Old
Testament were only partially fulfilled at Christ's first coming. But
their inference does not follow. There is nothing to prove the
assertions that the prophecies were fulfilled in the Bab and Baha. They
furnish no scintilla of evidence. For example, "the government shall be
upon his shoulders." Was this fulfilled in Baha? He came and went; the
nations and their rulers from 1817 to 1892 were neither literally nor
figuratively under his sway. He did not nor does he rule over the
nations. He did not reign in Mount Zion nor in Jerusalem. Jerusalem did
not cease to be trodden down of the Gentiles. Abundance of peace did not
attend him, but great wars. The signs of Christ's Second Advent have not
been fulfilled in Baha, either actually or metaphorically.[205] As well
may Ahmad Quadiani or Dowie assert their pretensions. Baha's claim is
antichristian. The day of Christ's power through the Holy Spirit has not
passed. It is still His day. The knowledge of Christ is yet more
covering the earth. Men of diverse races and religions in Asia, Africa,
and the isles of the seas are being joined in the common faith and
fellowship of Jesus Christ as Saviour of Men. There are more Christians
in Korea than Bahais in Persia. More Jews have become Christian since
Baha was born than have become Bahais from all races and religions
outside of Persia. Christ still goes forth conquering and to conquer.
VI. Bahaism, in its treatment of Jesus Christ as a man in His earthly
life, belittles Him by both its denials and its affirmations. Of His
temptation it says, "the devil signifies the human nature of Christ,
through which He was tempted." His miracles of healing are denied.[206]
Baha and Abul Fazl admit the possibility of miracles, but deny their
evidential value,[207] but Abdul Baha denies their reality. He says:
"The miracles of Christ were spiritual teachings, not literal
deeds."[208] The raising of the dead means that the dead (in sin) are
blessed with spiritual life.[209] By blindness (John ix.) is meant
ignorance and error; by sight, knowledge and guidance.[210] The spittle
coming from Christ was the meaning of His words, the clay was the
expression He used in accordance with their understanding.[211] At the
crucifixion darkness did not prevail, nor the earthquake, nor was the
vail of the temple rent in twain.[212] The crucifixion was not an
atoning sacrifice; Christ quaffed the cup of martyrdom "to cultivate and
educate us."[213] The washing away of sins by Christ was not by His
blood, but was by the practice of His teachings."[214] Christ did not
rise from the dead. "Resurrection of the body is an unintelligible
matter contrary to natural laws."[215] The body, which signifies His
word, arose when faith in His cause revived in the minds of the
disciples after three days.[216] Christ's real resurrection was the
coming of Mohammed. "Christ by saying that He would be three days in the
heart of the earth meant that He would appear in the third cycle. The
Christian was one, the Mohammedan the second, and that of Baha the
third." "The ascension of Christ with an elemental body is contrary to
science." He ascended in the same sense as Baha ascended, viz., departed
to the other world. Thus Bahaism denies the miracles,[217] atonement,
resurrection, and ascension of Christ.
A section of the "Tarikh-i-Jadid"[218] is devoted to the denial and
refutation of miracles. A blind man in Teheran sent to Baha praying that
his eyes might be opened. He received answer that it was for the glory
of God that he remain blind. The Bab, at his examination in Tabriz, was
asked to restore the sick Mohammed Shah to health. He replied: "It is
not in my power, but I can write two thousand verses a day. Who else can
do that?" He thus appealed not simply to the quality of his poetry but
to its quantity as a proof of his manifestation. In like manner, Manes,
in old times, painted pictures in his "revelations" and appealed to them
as proof of his inspiration. While denying miracles, Bahais lay much
stress, as we have seen, on minute fulfillments of prophecies.
Bahaism belittles the life and work of Jesus in instituting comparisons
between Christ and Baha derogatory to the former. Baha says: "It is not
meet ... to repeat the error of seeking help of ... the Son Jesus. Let
thy satisfaction be in myself." Abdul Baha says: "The difference between
Baha and Christ is that between the sun and moon. The light of the sun
[Baha] subsists in itself while the moon gets light from the Sun." "All
the teachings of Christ will not exceed ten pages.[219] Those of the
Blessed Perfection exceed sixty or seventy volumes. Christ's
instructions refer to individuals. Those of the Blessed Perfection are
for all nations, although they apply as well to all individuals. The
instructions of Christ were heard by but few persons; there were eleven
who believed, although Christians say there were one hundred and twenty.
The teachings of the Blessed Perfection were spread throughout the world
during his lifetime. The reputation of Christ did not extend from
Nazareth to Acca [22 miles]; the reputation of the Blessed Perfection
extended throughout the world. Jesus Christ did not send a letter even
to a village chief; the Blessed Perfection sent letters to all the kings
of the earth."[220] Notice how he repeats _ad nauseam_ the title for
Baha, but uses no title for the Lord Jesus Christ, though the Moslems
invariably do use a title in speaking of the latter.
There is an evident effort on the part of Kheiralla and Abul Fazl to
minimize the proofs regarding Christ from prophecy, miracles, and
history, with the idea thereby of magnifying the proof for Baha in
contrast. For example, "The Gospels contain only a few pages of the true
Words of God. Christ's teachings were not written in the original
language nor written in His day, His power was slow in proving
effective, and many even denied His existence."[221] "Even Peter denied
Him, but Baha Ullah has educated thousands of souls, faithful under the
menace of the sword."[222] In explaining the progress of Bahaism among
the Jews and Zoroastrians, Abul Fazl says: "Christians could not convert
even one Jew or Zoroastrian except by force or compulsion." He ignores
the fact that millions of Persians had been converted to Christ from
Zoroaster before the sword of Islam smote Persia. This belittling of
Christ--His life and work and influence--shows that a spirit
antagonistic to Christ really animates the Bahai leaders, in spite of
their professions to the contrary.
FOOTNOTES:
[134] In an interview with Rev. J. T. Bixby, who wrote on Bahaism in the
_North American Review_, June, 1912, Abdul Baha says: "Baha Ullah has
upraised the standard of Christ in the East in countries and among
peoples where there was formerly no mention of Christ's name." Not true.
Christ was known in Moslem lands, in India and Burmah.
[135] _S. W._, Sept. 8, 1913, p. 176.
[136] Sprague, "Story of the Bahai Movement," p. 21.
[137] Remey, "The Bahai Movement," p. 45.
[138] _The Christian Commonwealth_ (London), Sept. 13, 1911, p. 850.
[139] "Wisdom Talks," p. 21.
[140] Remey, "The Bahai Movement," p. 54.
[141] _Ibid._, p. 39.
[142] _Ibid._, p. 2.
[143] "The Story of the Bahai Movement," p. 17.
[144] So of Persia, _S. W._, April 28, 1914, p. 42.
[145] C. E. Maud, _Fortnightly Review_, April, 1912.
[146] Pages 68-158.
[147] "Table Talks with Abdul Baha," Dec. 2, 1900.
[148] "Answered Questions," pp. 22-29.
[149] _S. W._, Dec. 12, 1911, p. 7.
[150] Remey, "Tract on the Bahai Movement," p. 8.
[151] "Talks in Paris," p. 20.
[152] Remey, _S. W._, Dec. 31, 1913, pp. 267-271.
[153] In thus regarding the prophets as divine, Bahais are not setters
forth of strange doctrine in Persia, for the Ali Allahis (Nusaireyeh),
who number, possibly, twice as many as the Bahais in Persia, have the
same doctrine, and, in addition, regard the Imam Ali and others as
divine incarnations.
[154] Phelps, "Life of Abbas Effendi."
[155] Baha's "Words of Wisdom," p. 61. Notwithstanding these
repudiations of Pantheism, nearly every investigator finds it at the
basis of Bahai teaching.
[156] "Answered Questions," p. 23.
[157] Abdul Baha in Mrs. Grundy's "Ten Days in Acca."
[158] _Ibid._, p. 61: "The Blessed Perfection said in His Tablets that
once He was Abraham, once Moses, once Jesus, once Mohammed and once the
Bab. Baha Ullah is all the prophets, no matter by what name he chooses
to call himself."
[159] "Bahai Proofs," p. 209.
[160] Pages 14-15.
[161] "Answered Questions," pp. 199-201. Mr. Sprague says: "The Bahai
Faith teaches that the Universal Spirit, which is God, has manifested
itself to every race at some time or other, and that it comes again and
again, like the spring, to make all things new" ("A Year in India," p.
viii).
[162] "Ikan," p. 175.
[163] "Bahai Proofs," pp. 156-160. At the time of Azal there was a whole
"galaxy" of Manifestations. Baha wishes to stop the claimants, so he
declares that none is to be expected "for a thousand or thousands of
years." Persia has had numerous incarnations, so-called. They were found
among the Ismielis, Assassins, Ali-Allahis and all the _Ghulat_. The
veiled Prophet Mukanna, Babak and many pretenders have proclaimed
themselves God. In truth Persia never lacks for an incarnation or two.
One of these, of the Ali-Allahi sect, arrived in Tabriz some years ago,
and made an appointment to visit me at three o'clock P. M. My somavar
was set to boiling and I awaited his arrival. But he failed to keep his
engagement because the Governor-General, the Amir-i-Nizam, heard of his
presence in the city, and this God fled, forgetting to send me word not
to expect him.
[164] "Answered Questions," pp. 129-131, 199-201.
[165] _Ibid._, p. 184.
[166] "Ikan," pp. 123-127.
[167] Asad Ullah, "The School of the Prophets," p. 109.
[168] Mrs. Brittingham, "The Revelation of Baha Ullah," p. 32.
[169] _S. W._, Jan. 19, 1914, p. 283.
[170] "The Revelation of Baha Ullah," p. 24. Similarly Gulam Ahmad
Quadiani of India claimed to be Christ come again as well as Mohammed
and the Mahdi and also, for the Hindus, a new avatar or incarnation.
[171] C. M. Remey's tract, "The Covenant," pp. 14-15; Kheiralla's "Baha
Ullah," p. 533, and "Lawh-ul-Akdas," translated in _S. W._, Vol. IV, p.
15.
[172] _S. W._, March 21, 1913, p. 13.
[173] "Notes at Acca," p. 24.
[174] "A Message from Acca."
[175] "Before Abraham was, I am," p. 46.
[176] "The Revelation," etc., p. 25.
[177] "Daily Lessons," p. 61.
[178] "Flowers from Rose Garden," p. 5; also, Dealy, "Dawn of
Knowledge," Chap. IV.
[179] Asad Ullah, "Sacred Mysteries," pp. 74, 85.
[180] "Bahai Proofs," p. 121; _S. W._, Jan. 19, 1914, p. 288.
[181] "A Heavenly Vista," p. 12.
[182] "Life of Abbas Effendi," p. 197.
[183] "Ikan," p. 113.
[184] "Answered Questions," p. 152.
[185] "The Bahai Movement," p. 39.
[186] Phelps, p. 99.
[187] "Ten Days in the Light of Acca."
[188] _S. W._, Dec. 31, 1913, p. 269.
[189] M. Asad Ullah in M. H. Dreyfus's "Universal Religion," p. 63.
[190] Mal. iii. 1; iv. 5-6. See Dealy, "The Dawn of Knowledge," pp.
13-15.
[191] _Ibid._, pp. 25, 30.
[192] Dealy says: "To quote all the passages of Scripture referring to
Acca would necessitate reading a great portion of the Bible. They
identify Accho with Acca (Acre). Even if this were so, Accho was not in
the land of Naphtali and Zebulun, but in Asher. Napoleon's siege of Acre
is called 'the abomination of desolation, standing in the holy place'"
(p. 40).
[193] Isa. xi. 1-10.
[194] "Answered Questions," pp. 72-75.
[195] Kheiralla, p. 419.
[196] Dealy, pp. 31-32, 44.
[197] "Answered Questions," pp. 50-52.
[198] Kheiralla (pp. 412, 480-483) also skips from lunar to solar year
and back, to make the dates tally.
[199] "Answered Questions," pp. 54-55. See Milman's "Gibbon," Vol. II,
p. 433. "The Emperor Hadrian's plowshare levelled the temple area."
[200] "Answered Questions," pp. 54-55.
[201] "Bahai Proofs," p. 140. "All in their graves arose spiritually at
his call, for service in his cause."
[202] Pages 17-67.
[203] Doctor Potter of Teheran says ("Missions and Modern Hist.," by R.
E. Speer, p. 162): "Their fanciful interpretations of plain Scripture
declarations renders it difficult to make any impression on them with
proof texts from the Bible. They reply, 'Yes, but we must break open the
word and extract its meaning.'" This, says Doctor Holmes, "is often
directly at variance with its apparent meaning, but this only displays
more clearly the divine insight of their teacher, that he is able to
recognize words no one else can understand."
[204] _The Outlook_ (New York), 1901, June, p. 451.
[205] In one particular, no doubt, Baha has fulfilled prophecy. At least
the Azalis say that he came "as a thief" and stole the succession from
Azal.
[206] "New Hist.," p. 321.
[207] "Bahai Proofs," pp. 190, 204-207.
[208] Mrs. Grundy, p. 13.
[209] "Answered Questions," pp. 115-118.
[210] "Bahai Proofs," p. 232.
[211] M. L. Lucas, "My Visit to Acca," p. 20.
[212] "Answered Questions," p. 45.
[213] _S. W._, April 9, 1913, p. 40.
[214] Ibn Abhar. Thornton Chase says: "Christianity stands condemned
because it refuses to reject miracles and the blood atonement and will
not confine itself to the precepts of Jesus" ("Bahai Revelation," p.
158).
[215] "Bahai Proofs," p. 155.
[216] "Tablets of Abdul Baha," Vol. I, p. 192; "Answered Questions," pp.
120-121.
[217] Yet Baha informs us that "copper in seventy years becomes gold in
its mine if it be protected from a superabundance of moisture" ("Ikan,"
p. 111).
[218] "New Hist."
[219] "Winterburn's Table Talks," pp. 19-20.
[220] "Bahai Proofs," p. 231.
[221] "Answered Questions," p. 42.
[222] "Bahai Proofs," p. 265.
V
Bahaism and Christianity (_Continued_)
Mrs. Goodall:--"Is it necessary to arise to say the midnight prayers
and to make ablution before them?"
Abdul Baha:--"Ablution is only for obligatory prayers three times a
day."--"_Daily Lessons_," p. 74.
Abdul Baha restores man to his state a little lower than the
angels.... On this occasion we newcomers were presented with a Bahai
stone marked with Baha Ullah's name. Such objects contain a spiritual
influence ... actually retain and set free something of the holy man's
personality.... At my request, Abdul Baha graciously took back the
stone I had received and returned it with a blessing for my baby girl,
who thus, as it were, accompanied us on our pilgrimage and received
its benefit.--_Horace Holley at Thonon. His "The Modern Social
Religion," p. 216._
VII. Bahaism teaches another way of salvation. Man's origin and destiny
were formerly points of doubt in Bahai teaching, but the muddy mixture
has settled enough to give us a clearer view, at least as regards
Western Bahaism, though pantheistic notions still prevail. Abdul Baha
teaches that matter is eternal, self-existent, and fills all space.[223]
"God always had a creation; the universe has neither beginning nor
end."[224] "Creation out of nothing is unthinkable. Separate entities
come into being through the operation of God--are the perceptible
manifestations of Him." "There are four degrees of spirit concerned with
evolutionary growth: The mineral spirit, the vegetable, the animal, and
the human. The mineral spirit contains the latent principle of
life."[225] Yet man's origin is not from the animals.[226] "Species is
fixed; man was developed gradually as a distinct species."[227] The
spirit of man emanates from God as an action from an actor, a writing
from a writer--a manifestation of the Divine but not a division from it.
Sin arises from the physical qualities, from the physical nature which
we derive from Adam. Evil is really non-existent; it is simply lack of
good qualities. There is no Satan.[228] The "Genii" (jins) of the Koran
are evil passions in man; demons are the spirits of bad men.
As to the doctrine of personal immortality, there has been much
confusion of thought. Some have understood the doctrine of "rijat" or
"Return" as teaching transmigration of souls. Others have understood
their allegorizing about heaven as a rejection of the future life.
Others, as Phelps,[229] affirm the absorption of the soul in the
Infinite. My language teacher in Persia, a fervent Behai, said: "We
believe in a future state so unthinkably ecstatic that if its joys were
now revealed to men, they would commit suicide to hasten their entrance
into it." Baha Ullah wrote a "Tablet of the Spiritual World," of which
it is said:[230] "All who read it are filled with an anxious desire to
leave this world and enter the next condition, so wonderful are the
glories of the spiritual kingdom. In Persia one man who read the tablet
killed himself. He could not wait for the happiness it promised him.
Another, a youth of Ispahan, could not stand it and lost his reason."
Mrs. Grundy[231] and Mr. Phelps[232] understood Abdul Baha to teach the
annihilation of the wicked, but he denied this[233] and affirms their
conscious existence.[234] Heaven and hell are affirmed in some places,
denied in others.