• Zechariah 4:14
  Then he said, "These are the two anointed ones, who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth."
• Revelation 22:2
  ...And on either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Commentary:
"...on either side" shows that there were to be two Trees of Life - The Báb and Bahá'u'lláh.
In addition to restating the unchanging spiritual principles of all past religions, Bahá'u'lláh has revealed twelve new teachings ("twelve kinds of fruit") to bring about The Most Great Peace ("for the healing of the nations:")

• The oneness of mankind
• The oneness of religion
• One world government
• Abolition of war
• International auxiliary language
• Elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty
• The harmony of science and religion
• Elimination of prejudice
• Equality of men and women
• Universal education
• Independent investigation of truth
• Centre of the covenant

• Isaiah 62:2
  And all the nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; and you will be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord will designate.
• Revelation 2:17
  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.
• Revelation 3:12
  He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it any more; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.
• Revelation 19:12
  And his eyes were a flame of fire, and upon His head were many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself.

Commentary:
Bahá'u'lláh is the new name of God's Manifestation in this age. "Bahá'u'lláh" is Arabic, meaning "the Glory of God". Those who have declared their belief in Him are Bahá'í - not Christian, Muslim, etc.

• Malachi 3:1
  "Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the LORD, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the Messenger of the Covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming", says the LORD of hosts.
• John 10:2
  But He Who enters by the Gate is a Shepherd of the sheep.

Commentary:
Malachi 3:1 is a chronological prophecy of three figures:

• The Lord of Hosts (Bahá'u'lláh) says He'll send His send His "messenger (to) clear the way before" Him. This is the Báb Whose central mission was to prepare us for "Him Whom God shall make manifest" - The World Redeemer, Bahá'u'lláh
• "... the LORD ... will suddenly come to His temple..." Only three years separated the Báb's martyrdom and Bahá'u'lláh's revelation, rather than the usual 1.000 years between revelations.
• "...the Messenger of the Covenant" is 'Abdu'l-Bahá - the Centre of Bahá'u'lláh's covenant. This covenant is one of the 12 unique characteristics of the Bahá'í dispensation; it insures the Faith of God will remain united in it's goal to bring the Kingdom of God on earth.

John 10:2 - Báb means "Gate" or "Door" in Arabic. Bahá'u'lláh is He Who entered by "Gate," having been Himself a Bábí, and heralded by the Báb.

Jesus said (John 10:16) "And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also... and they shall be one flock with one Shepherd." Bahá'u'lláh is that Shepherd to unite all flocks (religions).

• Psalms 24:7-10
  Lift up your heads, 0 gates,
  And be lifted up, 0 ancient doors,
  That the King of glory may come in!
  Who is the King of Glory?
  The LORD strong and mighty,
  The LORD mighty in battle.
  Lift up your heads, 0 gates,
  And lift them up, 0 ancient doors,
  That the King of glory may come in!
  Who is the King of glory?
  The LORD of hosts,
  He is the King of glory.
• Revelation 12:5
  And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne...
• Revelation 12:13
  And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.

Commentary:
"Lift up your heads" i.e. be proud of your fated martyrdom.

"0 gates" referring to the 20,000 Bábí martyrs ("Báb" means "Gate")

"be lifted up" i.e. be sacrificed as martyrs.

"That the King of glory may come in!" Bahá'u'lláh means "Glory of God" - He is the King of Glory.

Psalms 24:7-10 is an important key to understanding prophecy inasmuch as it clearly identifies Bahá'u'lláh as the Lord of Hosts: "Who is the King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory."

The theme of this Psalm is that the ultimate sacrifice by a great number of Bábí martyrs would precede the establishment of Bahá'u'lláh's own revelation.

• Daniel 10:13
  But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.
• Daniel 10:21
  However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. (Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince.)

Commentary:
"...the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me..." foretells the opposition of the Shah (King) of Persia (Iran) to the Cause of God revealed by Bahá'u'lláh.

"for twenty-one days" refers to the 21 Islamic lunar years between the declaration of the Báb in 1260AH and Bahá'u'lláh's Proclamation to the Kings in 1281AH. (See the "Time Line" section of this course for more details on prophecies relating to important dates in history.)

"Michael" is a Hebrew name meaning "One Who is like God" ...another way of saying "The Glory of God." Bahá'u'lláh not only revealed God's teachings (see the commentary for note #1 re: the 12 principles, etc.) but manifested in His every act the perfect qualities of God (e.g.: love, justice, knowledge, grace, etc.) As such He is both the Word of God, and His symbol and image on earth. Thus the name: "Michael."

"Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me..." This is Mirza Husayn Alí (Bahá'u'lláh) who was from a distinguished family of Persian nobility descended from Yazdigird III - the last king of the Sasaniyan dynasty. (See the "Genealogy" section of this course for prophetic details regarding the genealogy of the Manifestations of God.)

• Jeremiah 49:33
  "Then I shall set My throne in Elam, and I shall destroy out of it king and princes", declares the LORD.
• Jeremiah 49:39
  "But it will come about in the last days that I shall restore the fortunes of Elam" declares the Lord.

Commentary:
"Elam" is an ancient kingdom in territory now called 'Iraq. This is where Bahá'u'lláh declared His revelation. Thus, God set His throne in Elam.

• Isaiah 24:21
  So it will happen in that day, that the LORD will punish the host of heaven, on high, and the kings of the earth, on earth.
• Revelation 19:16
  And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "King of Kings, and Lord of Lords"

Commentary:
"the host of heaven" are the religious leaders; "heaven" is the religion established by past Manifestations of God. "...on high" refers to the Holy Books of these past religions, as they are the "heights" of the religion.
The meaning of all this is that religious leaders would be censured in the new Holy Book (Bahá'u'lláh's Holy Texts) for their sins

"and (punish) the kings of the earth, on earth." This prophecy was fulfilled, as recorded in the history of the 19th century; All the Kings who rejected Bahá'u'lláh's summons lost their thrones.

• Isaiah 59:20
  "And a Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob", declares the LORD.
• Isaiah 60:1
  Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
• Psalms 50: 2
  Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth.
• Psalms 50: 3
  May our God come and not keep silence; Fire devours before Him, and it is very tempestuous around Him.

Commentary:
Isaiah 59:20 says that "a Redeemer will come to Zion." By exiling Bahá'u'lláh to the Holy Land His enemies unwittingly caused the fulfillment of prophecies such as this.

Isaiah 60:1 says "your light has come to Zion," just as Bahá'u'lláh came to the Holy Land. It goes on to say "the glory of the LORD has risen upon you." Bahá'u'lláh means "The Glory of God," or the glory of the LORD. And, as the sun arises in the east, so too did Bahá'u'lláh come from Persia in the east.

The light of Bahá'u'lláh's teaching gained intensity during His exile in Zion; Here He wrote some of His most significant works.

• Micah 4:2
  Any many nations will come and say, "Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, that He may teach us about His ways and that we may walk in His paths". For from Zion will go forth the law...
• Revelation 21:1
  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.
• Revelation 21:2
  And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God...
• Revelation 21:11
  having the Glory of God...
• Revelation 21:23
  And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the Glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

Commentary:
"let us go up to the mountain of the LORD..." refers to Mt. Carmel (Hebrew for "God's vineyard") upon which the Universal House of Justice - the law giving body of the Bahá'í world community - was established. Bahá'u'lláh waited for years to reveal His laws, doing so only after His banishment to Zion, and in fulfillment of this prophecy.

Revelation 21:1 says "I saw a new heaven and a new earth" this being the new religion and the new social order brought by Bahá'u'lláh. The divisions (like sea's that divide nations and peoples) will be bridged by the new revelation.

The last three quotes from Revelation say that the new Jerusalem would be illumined with Bahá'u'lláh, and it's lamp is the Báb.

• Isaiah 9:6
  For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest upon His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
• Isaiah 9:7
  There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.
• Micah 4:1
  And it will come about in the last days that the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, and the people will stream to it.

Commentary:
Isaiah 9:6 says "...the government will rest upon His shoulders" refers to Bahá'u'lláh's Universal House of Justice situate on Mt. Carmel, Israel. "His name will be called Wonderful Counselor" because of Bahá'u'lláh's principles of consultation and arbitration to adjust international affairs. "Eternal Father:" The Father's role is to gather the family of mankind - to establish world unity. "Prince of Peace:" because, unlike Jesus Who specifically renounced this title, Bahá'u'lláh clearly stated that establishing "The Most Great Peace" was His precise mission.

Isaiah 9:7 says "There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace." because, unlike Jesus Who disclaimed any temporal rule, Bahá'u'lláh established a world government that is currently operating, in embryonic form, within the Bahá'í world community. "The zeal of the LORD of hosts (The King of Glory - Bahá'u'lláh) will accomplish this."

On Mt. Carmel is the Bahá'í world centre and location of the Shrine of the Bab which is the focal point of Bahá'í pilgrims from around the world.

• Isaiah 53:9, 10
  His grave was assigned to be with wicked men, yet with a rich man in His death; although He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth. But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

Commentary:
" His grave was assigned to be with wicked men" - When Bahá'u'lláh was exiled to 'Akka, it was an unhealthy prison city populated with convicted thieves and murderers. He was to die there in shame and infamy.

"...yet with a rich man in His death" - Bahá'u'lláh lived another 25 years in 'Akka and vicinity, died at the rented mansion of Bajhi, and was buried on the opposite corner of the mansion from it's wealthy owner.

"...although He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth." - Bahá'u'lláh was a prisoner of conscience; His only "crime" was His religion.

"But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering..." - Baha'u'llah suffered stoning, scourging, poisoning, exile, galling imprisonment, personal loss, duplicity, betrayal and public humiliation to bring us the Kingdom of God on earth. Bahá'u'lláh wrote of His sacrifice: The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty. He hath drained to its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all the peoples of the earth may attain unto abiding joy, and be filled with gladness. This is of the mercy of your Lord, the Compassionate, the Most Merciful. We have accepted to be abased, O believers in the Unity of God, that ye may be exalted, and have suffered manifold afflictions, that ye might prosper and flourish. He Who hath come to build anew the whole world, behold, how they that have joined partners with God have forced Him to dwell within the most desolate of cities! Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 99

"He will see His offspring" which were His children 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Bihiya Kahnum, and Mirza Mihdi.

"He will prolong His days" living to the age of 75.

"...and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand." - During His own lifetime the Faith of God had spread to 4 countries, the Holy Writings had been translated a number of languages, and the Cause had over 100,000 adherents.

• Micah 7:15
  As in the days when you came out from the land of Egypt, I will show you miracles.

Commentary:
"As in the days when you came out from the land of Egypt..." - The Israelites wandered in the Sinai desert 40 years - the exact length of Bahá'u'lláh's ministry.

"...I will show you miracles." - What miracle is greater than that prophecies thousands of years old should be fulfilled and that God should manifest Himself in our modern world?

• Isaiah 59:21
  "And as for Me, this is My covenant with them", says the LORD: "My Spirit which is upon You, and My words which I have put in Your mouth, shall not depart from Your mouth, nor from the mouth of Your offspring, nor from the mouth of Your offspring's offspring", says the LORD, "from now and forever."

Commentary:
"My words which I have put in Your mouth, shall not depart from Your mouth" - Bahá'u'lláh,
"nor from the mouth of Your offspring" - Bahá'u'lláh's son, 'Abdu'l-Bahá,
"nor from the mouth of Your offspring's offspring" - Bahá'u'lláh's great-grandson, Shoghi Effendi,
"from now and forever." - Bahá'u'lláh's Universal House of Justice.

• Zechariah 6:12
  Then say to him, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the LORD.
• Zechariah 6:13
  Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the LORD, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices"'.
• Zechariah 6:15"And those who are far off will come and build the temple of the LORD."

Commentary:
'Abdu'l-Bahá was designated by His Father as the "Most Great Branch" of the Tree of Life (Bahá'u'lláh). Exiled with His Father from far off Persia, 'Abdu'l-Bahá bore the honour and responsibility leading the Faith of God in the years between Bahá'u'lláh's death in 1892 and Abdu'l-Bahá's own death in the Holy Land in 1921. In His other office as the sole interpreter and perfect exemplar of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings, Abdu'l-Bahá was as a priest on His Father's throne. Thus, the counsel of peace was between the two offices

• Micah 4:3
  And He will judge between many peoples and render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against Nation, and never will they train for war.
• Isaiah 9:7
  There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace...

Commentary:
The central purpose of Bahá'u'lláh's mission is to establish on earth what He terms "The Most Great Peace." This will be accomplished through the unifying forces of His Most Holy Faith, and the laws and institutions He has ordained and established for a new World Order.

• Deuteronomy 30:3
  ...then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you.

Commentary:
The "Edict of Toleration" signed by the Sultan of Turkey in 1844 (the year the Bahá'í Faith started) opened the doors to Jews from around the world to return to Ottoman protectorate of Palestine. This culminated in the establishment of the state of Israel there 103 years later.

• Zephaniah 8:8
  ...Indeed, My decision is to gather the nations...
• Zephaniah 8:9
  For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD, to serve Him shoulder to shoulder.

Commentary:
One of the 12 principles of Bahá'u'lláh is the establishment of one world federal government. Another of His principles is the establishment of a universal auxiliary language and, ultimately, the further reduction to only one language.

• Ezekiel 11:19
  And I will give them one heart, and shall put a new spirit within them. And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,
• Ezekiel 11:20
  That they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.

Commentary:
Complimenting His laws and principle of one world government, Bahá'u'lláh said: That which God hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful, and inspired  Physician.

• Jeremiah 31:34
  And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, "Know the LORD", for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them...

Commentary:
The people of the world will be inspired by the unifying spirit of one pure religion freed of man-made dogma and the manipulation of religious and secular leaders; The Bahá'í Faith has no clergy.

• Zechariah 14:9
  And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one.
• John 10:16
  And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear my voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd.

Commentary:
In accepting the Divine inspiration of the Founders of all the major worlds religions, the Bahá'í Faith sets the stage for true and lasting religious harmony. (See also the commentary for note #18)

• Isaiah 9:6
  For a child will be born to us... and the government will rest on His shoulders...
• Isaiah 9:7
  There will be no end to the increase of His government...

Commentary:
(See Commentary for notes #15 and #18)

• Daniel 12:1
  Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time...
• 3 Peter 3:10
  But the day of the Lord shall come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

Commentary:
Re: Daniel 12:1, it has previously been shown in note #5 that Michael is a name for Bahá'u'lláh. There has never been such strife in the world as since the mid nineteenth century when the Bahá'í Faith was revealed.

Re: 3 Peter 3:10, Jesus also said that His return would be like a thief in the night. Such a one comes and goes with no notice. Though the Faith of God is more widespread than Christianity or Islam, it's membership is not - the world has generally been asleep and not yet noticed the return of Christ in Bahá'u'lláh ("The Glory of " the Father).

• Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, LXV
  Know ye that the world and its vanities and its embellishments shall pass away. Nothing will endure except God's Kingdom...
• World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, page 194
  The civilization so often vaunted by the learned exponents of arts and sciences will, if allowed to overleap the bounds of moderation, bring great evil upon... If carried to excess, civilization will prove as prolific a source of evil as it had been of goodness when kept within the restraints of moderation... The day is approaching when its flames will devour the cities, when the Tongue of Grandeur will proclaim: "The Kingdom is God's, the Almighty, the All-Praised."
• Words of Paradise, Ninth leaf
  Strange and astonishing things exist in the earth, but they are hidden from the minds and the understanding of men. These things are capable of changing the whole atmosphere of the earth and their contamination would prove lethal...
• The Chosen Highway (a paraphrase of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's talk to the Japanese ambassador to France in 1911), page 184:
  "Scientific discoveries have increased material civilization. There is in existence a stupendous force, as yet, happily, undiscovered by man. Let us supplicate God, the Beloved, that this force be not discovered by science until spiritual civilization shall dominate the human mind. In the hands of men of lower material nature, this power would be able to destroy the whole earth."

Commentary:
Can it be only coincidence that 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke of nuclear weapons to the ambassador of the only country to ever have had such weapons used against them?

• Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, CX
  "...How long will humanity persist in its waywardness? How long will injustice continue? How long is chaos and confusion to reign amongst men? How long will discord agitate the face of society? The winds of despair are, alas, blowing from every direction, and the strife that divideth and afflicteth the human race is daily increasing. The signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing order appeareth to be lamentably defective..."
• Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh XVI
  Witness how the world is being afflicted with a fresh calamity every day. Its tribulation is continually deepening... At one time it hath been agitated by contentions and disputes, at another it hath been convulsed by wars, and fallen a victim to inveterate diseases. It's sickness if approaching the stage of utter hopelessness, inasmuch as the true Physician is debarred from administering the remedy, whilst unskilled practitioners are regarded with favor, and are accorded full freedom to act.

• World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, page 203
  The well-being of mankind, its peace and security are unattainable until its unity is firmly established.
• Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, CXX
  That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful and inspired Physician...

• Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, CXIX
  Now that ye have refused the Most Great Peace, hold ye fast unto this, the Lesser Peace, that haply ye may in some degree better your own condition and that of your dependents.

• Guidance for Today and Tomorrow, page 187
  From two ranks amongst men power hath been seized: Kings and ecclesiastics.

• The Hidden Words (Persian), #63
  0 ye peoples of the world! Know, verily, that an unforeseen calamity is following you, and that grievous retribution awaiteth you...
• Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, CVIII
  We have a fixed time for you, a peoples. If ye fail, at the appointed hour, to turn towards God, He, verily, will lay violent hold on you, and will cause grievous afflictions to assail you from every direction. How severe, indeed, is the chastisement with which your Lord will then chastise you!
• Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, LXI
  The world is in travail, and its agitation waxeth day by day. Its face is turned towards waywardness and unbelief. Such shall be its plight, that to disclose it now would not be meet and seemly. Its perversity will long continue. And when the appointed hour is come, there shall suddenly appear that which shall cause the limbs of mankind to quake. Then, and only then, will the Divine Standard be unfurled, and the Nightingale of Paradise warble its melody

• Wellspring of Guidance, pages 133-134 (Universal House of Justice):
  ...two great processes are at work in the world: the great Plan of God, tumultuous in its progress, working through mankind as a whole, tearing down barriers to world unity and forging humankind into a unified body in the fires of suffering and experience. This process will produce, in God's due time, the Lesser Peace, the political unification of mankind. Mankind at that time can be likened to a body that is unified, but without life. The second process, the task of breathing life into this unified body -of creating true unity and spirituality culminating in the Most Great Peace - is that of the Bahá'ís, who are laboring consciously, with detailed instructions and continuing Divine guidance, to erect the fabric of the Kingdom of God on earth, into which they call their fellow men, thus conferring upon them eternal life.
• Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, CIX:
  The heights which, through the most gracious favor of God, mortal man can attain, in this Day, are as yet unrevealed to his sight. The world of being hath never had, nor doth it yet posses the capcity for such a revelation. The day, however, is approaching when the potentialities of so great a favor will, by virtue of His behest, be manifested unto men...
• Guidance for Today and Tomorrow, page 167-9 / 2^nd paragraph page 171 (Shoghi Effendi):
  The unity of the human race, as envisaged by Baha'u'llah, implies the establishment of a world commonwealth in which all nations, races, creeds, and classes are closely and permanently united and in which the autonomy of its state members and the personal freedom and initiative of the individuals that compose them are definitely and completely safeguarded. This commonwealth must, as far as we can visualize it, consist of a world legislature, whose members will, as the trustees of the whole of mankind, ultimately control the entire resources of all the component nations, and will enact such laws as shall be required to regulate the life, satisfy the needs, and adjust the relationships of all races and peoples. A world executive, backed by an international Force, will carry out the decisions arrived at, and apply the laws enacted by, this world legislature, and will safeguard the organic unity of the whole commonwealth. A world tribunal will adjudicate and deliver its compulsory and final verdict in all and any disputes that may arise between the various elements constituting this universal system. A mechanism of world inter-communication will be devised, embracing the whole planet, freed from national hindrances and restrictions, and functioning with marvelous swiftness and perfect regularity. A world metropolis will act as a nerve centre of a world civilization, the focus towards which the unifying forces of life will converge and from which its energizing influences will radiate. A world language will either be invented or chosen from among the existing languages and will be taught in the schools of all the federated nations as an auxiliary to their mother tongue. A world script. a world literature, a uniform and universal system of currency, of weights and measures, will simplify and facilitate intercourse and understanding among the nations and races of mankind. In such a world society, science and religion, the two most potent forces in human life, will be reconciled, will cooperate, and will harmoniously develop. The press will, under such a system, while giving full scope to the expression of the diversified views and convictions of mankind, cease to be mischievously manipulated by vested interests, whether private or public, and will be liberated from the influence of contending governments and peoples. The economic resources of the world will be organized, its sources of raw materials will be tapped and fully utilized, its markets will be coordinated and developed, and the distribution of its products will be equitably regulated.
  
  National rivalries, hatreds, and intrigues will cease, and racial animosity and prejudice will be replaced by racial amity, understanding, and cooperation. The causes of religious strife will be permanently removed, economic barriers and restrictions will be completely abolished, and the inordinate distinction between classes will be obliterated. Destitution on the one hand, and gross accumulation of ownership on the other, will disappear. The enormous energy dissipated and wasted on war, whether economic or political, will be consecrated to such ends as will extend the range of human inventions and technical development, to the increase of the productivity of mankind, to the extermination of disease, to the extension of scientific research, to the raising of the standard of physical health, to the sharpening and refinement of the human brain, to the exploitation of the unused and unsuspected resources of the planet, to the prolongation of human life, and to the furtherance of any other agency that can stimulate the intellectual, the moral, and the spiritual life of the entire human race.
  
  A world federal system, ruling the whole earth and exercising unchallengeable authority over its unimaginably vast resources, blending and embodying the ideals of both the East and the West, liberated from the curse of war and its miseries, and bent on the exploitation of all the available sources of energy on the surface of the planet, a system in which Force is made the servant of Justice, whose life is sustained by its universal recognition of one God and by its allegiance to one common Revelation - such is the goal towards which humanity, impelled by the unifying forces of life, is moving.
  
  Who can doubt that such a consummation - the coming of age of the human race - must signalize, in its turn, the inauguration of a world civilization such as no mortal eye hath ever beheld or human mind conceived? Who is it that can imagine the lofty standard that such a civilization, as it unfolds itself, is destined to attain? Who can measure the heights to which human intelligence, liberated from its shackles, will soar? Who can visualize the realms which the human spirit, vitalized by the outpouring light of Baha'u'llah, shining in the plenitude of its glory, will discover?