Baha'i Faith Covenant
Deepening
Return
of Christ
Seventh
Angel
Kitab-i-Ahd
Will and
Testament
Baha'u'llah was
Jewish
Shoghi Effendi
Shoghi's
Son
Dichotomy
Hands of the
Cause
HE IS THE GLORY OF GLORIES! This is
that which hath descended from the realm of glory, uttered by the tongue
of power and might, and revealed unto the Prophets of old. We have taken
the inner essence thereof and clothed it in the garment of brevity, as
a token of grace unto the righteous, that they may stand faithful unto
the Covenant of God, may fulfill in their lives His trust, and in the
realm of spirit obtain the gem of Divine virtue.
(Baha'u'llah: Arabic Hidden Words, page 1)
Faithfulness to God's Covenant is a pivotal theme of religion. God has
a progressive and never-ending Covenant with mankind; that we should evolve,
unite and become made in the image of God. Throughout history God has
given Covenants to man through His Manifestations and Prophets and Promised
Ones. The following is a chronological list of those through whom God
has made His Covenant known: Adam, Enoch, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac,
Ishmael, Jacob/Israel, Moses, Joshua, Krishna, Arjuna, King David, Zoroaster,
Vishtaspa, Buddha, Anonda, Jesus, Paul, Mohammed, Ali, the Bab, Quddus,
Baha'u'llah, 'Abdu'l-Baha
and Baha'u'llah's Establisher.
The founder of the Baha'i Faith, Baha'u'llah, and His establisher where both prophesied of by all the Ones prior to themselves. For instance, in Christianity, Baha'u'llah is the prophesied Return of Christ," while His establisher is the prophesied "seventh angel," of the Book of Revelation and Some Answered Questions.
There are two parts to God's Covenant; the Greater Covenant and the Lesser Covenant. The Greater Covenant is that God will always send another Prophet (Manifestation) to reveal more about Himself. The revelations given by God's Manifestations are the cause of civilization and are also a divine elixir to the ailments of the world. The Lesser Covenant is what we should do in the interim between the appearance of the Manifestations; who to turn to for guidance.
Baha'u'llah penned over 2000 books, letters, tablets and prayers in His life. Of all His writings one stands alone in magnitude, the Kitab-i-Ahd; the Book of the Covenant! In the Covenant of Baha'u'llah we are told exactly who to turn to for infallible guidance upon the passing of the Prophet. Baha'u'llah is explicitly clear that we are to turn to His eldest son, 'Abdu'l-Baha:
The Will of the divine Testator is this: It is incumbent upon the
Aghsan, the Afnan and My Kindred to turn, one and all, their faces towards
the Most Mighty Branch. Consider that which We have revealed in Our Most
Holy Book: `When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My
Revelation is ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed,
Who hath branched from this Ancient Root.' The object of this sacred verse
is none other except the Most Mighty Branch [Abdu'l-Baha]. Thus have We
graciously revealed unto you our potent Will, and I am verily the Gracious,
the All-Powerful.
(Baha'u'llah: Tablets of Baha'u'llah, page 221)
Let's look at a few of the things 'Abdu'l-Baha had to say about the Covenant:
Today the most important principle of faith is firmness in the Covenant,
because firmness in the Covenant wards off differences. Therefore, you
must be firm as mountains.
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Promulgation of Universal Peace*, page 381)
Today no power can conserve the oneness of the Baha'i world save
the Covenant of God;
(Tablets of the Divine Plan, page 56)
What deviation can be greater than breaking the Covenant of God!
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Will and Testament, page 6)
It is indubitably clear, that the pivot of the oneness of mankind
is nothing else but the power of the Covenant.... The power of the Covenant
is as the heat of the sun which quickeneth and promoteth the development
of all created things on earth. The light of the Covenant, in like manner,
is the educator of the minds, the spirits, the hearts and souls of men.
(Abdu'l-Baha, cited in "God Passes By", pp. 238-39)
(`Abdu'l-Baha: The Covenant, page 128)
No power can eliminate misunderstandings except that of the Covenant.
The power of the Covenant is all-embracing, and resolveth all difficulties,
for the Pen of Glory hath explicitly declared that whatever misunderstanding
may arise should be referred to the Centre of the Covenant....
(Abdu'l-Baha, from a Tablet - translated from the Persian)
(`Abdu'l-Baha: The Covenant, page 128)
The violators of the Covenant will be degraded and dispersed, and
the faithful cherished and glorified, for they cling to the Book of the
Testament and are firm and steadfast in the Covenant.
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Some Answered Questions, page 60)
`O God! Bring to naught the violators of the Covenant and defeat the
oppressors of the Testament.' `He who denieth the Covenant and the Testament
is rejected by God, and he who remaineth firm and steadfast therein is
favoured at the Threshold of Oneness.'
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Selections ... `Abdu'l-Baha, page 211)
If it is considered with insight, it will be seen that all the forces
of the universe, in the last analysis serve the Covenant.
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Selections ... `Abdu'l-Baha, page 228)
'Abdu'l-Baha is the exemplar of the Baha'i Faith. He wrote many books delineating the World Order of Baha'u'llah. The Will and Testament is the single most important document written by 'Abdu'l-Baha; in it he delineates the provisions of the Covenant. In order to have the Kingdom of God on earth, it must be set up according to the charter. The Covenant of Baha'u'llah and the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha are the charter for the Kingdom of God. Together they form a single, inseparable Baha'i document. It is the scroll prophesied of in the fifth chapter of the book of Revelation:
And I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a
scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals; and I
saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open
the scroll and break its seals?" And no one in heaven or on earth or under
the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I wept much
that no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.Then
one of the elders said to me, "Weep not; lo, the Lion of the tribe of
Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll
and its seven seals." And between the throne and the four living creatures
and among the elders, I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain,
with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God
sent out into all the earth; and he went and took the scroll from the
right hand of him who was seated on the throne And when he had taken the
scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down
before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense,
which are the prayers of the saints; and they sang a new song, saying,
"Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals, for thou wast
slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue
and people and nation, and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our
God, and they shall reign on earth." Then I looked, and I heard around
the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels,
numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a
loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth
and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" And I heard every
creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and
all therein, saying, "To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!" And the
four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped.
(Revelation 5)
In this powerful verse, the scroll is the Covenant (written within) and the Will and Testament (on the back). The twenty-four elders are the members of the International Baha'i Council. The Root of David is Baha'u'llah (the return of Christ) and the Lamb is Dr. Leland Jensen (Baha'u'llah's establisher). The throne is the throne of king David, whose lineage, according to the Bible, will endure for ever:
Thou hast said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have
sworn to David my servant: 'I will establish your descendants for ever,
and build your throne for all generations. I have found David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have anointed him; so that my hand shall ever abide
with him, my arm also shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not outwit
him, the wicked shall not humble him. I will crush his foes before him
and strike down those who hate him... And I will make him the first-born,
the highest of the kings of the earth. My steadfast love I will keep for
him for ever, and my covenant will stand firm for him. I will establish
his line for ever and his throne as the days of the heavens. If his children
forsake my law and do not walk according to my ordinances, if they violate
my statutes and do not keep my commandments, then I will punish their
transgression with the rod and their iniquity with scourges; but I will
not remove from him my steadfast love, or be false to my faithfulness.
I will not violate my covenant, or alter the word that went forth from
my lips. Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David.
His line shall endure for ever, his throne as long as the sun before me.
Like the moon it shall be established for ever; it shall stand firm while
the skies endure." Selah
(Psalms 89: 3-6, 20-23, 27-37)
For thus says the LORD: "David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne" (Jeremiah 33:17)
Baha'u'llah was Jewish. His lineage traces back to king David. Baha'u'llah ruled upon the throne of David and He passed it on to His son 'Abdu'l-Baha. 'Abdu'l-Baha passed the throne of David on to his adopted son, Charles Mason Remey Aghsan. Today Mason Remey's grandson sits on the never-ending throne of David as the chairman of the second International Baha'i Council/Universal House of Justice of Baha'u'llah.. In the Baha'i Faith the throne of David continues as the executive branch of the Universal House of Justice. In the Baha'i Faith the executive is called the "Guardian" and he is always a descendent of David through the lineage of Baha'u'llah. The first guardian of the Baha'i Faith was Shoghi Effendi. Shoghi Effendi was named the "Unique Guardian" by 'Abdu'l-Baha because Shoghi was the one and only guardian who had lineage from both Baha'u'llah as well as the Bab; he did not sit on the throne of David as his lineage to Baha'u'llah was through his mother. Shoghi was "unique" because he was the only guardian who did not also sit on the throne of David. Even more important is that Shoghi Effendi was also unique because he was the only guardian who had "conferred infallibility." Shoghi was appointed guardian by his grandfather, 'Abdu'l-Baha. In 1951, Shoghi Effendi appointed Mason Remey to be the president of the first International Baha'i Council, thus, upon the death of Shoghi Effendi, Mason was to succeed him as guardian of the Baha'i Faith. 'Abdu'l-Baha set up a "dichotomy."
In the following excerpts, Shoghi Effendi explains the institution of the guardianship:
Divorced from the institution of the Guardianship the World Order
of Baha'u'llah would be mutilated and permanently deprived of that hereditary
principle which, as Abdu'l-Baha has written, has been invariably upheld
by the Law of God... Without such an institution the integrity of the
Faith would be imperiled, and the stability of the entire fabric would
be gravely endangered. Its prestige would suffer, the means required to
enable it to take a long, an uninterrupted view over a series of generations
would be completely lacking, and the necessary guidance to define the
sphere of the legislative action of its elected representatives would
be totally withdrawn.
(Shoghi Effendi: World Order of Baha'u'llah, page 148)
The security of our precious Faith, the preservation of the spiritual
health of the Baha'i communities, the vitality of the faith of its individual
members, the proper functioning of its laboriously erected institutions,
the fruition of its worldwide enterprises, the fulfillment of its ultimate
destiny, all are directly dependent upon the befitting discharge of the
weighty responsibilities now resting upon the members of these two institutions,
occupying, with the Universal House of Justice, next to the Institution
of the Guardianship, foremost rank in the divinely ordained administrative
hierarchy of the World Order of Baha'u'llah.
(Shoghi Effendi: Messages to the Baha'i World, page 123)
It should be borne in mind that the institution of the Guardianship
has been anticipated by Abdu'l-Baha in an allusion He made in a Tablet
addressed, long before His own ascension, to three of His friends in Persia.
To their question as to whether there would be any person to whom all
the Baha'is would be called upon to turn after His ascension He made the
following reply: "As to the question ye have asked me, know verily that
this is a well-guarded secret. It is even as a gem concealed within its
shell. That it will be revealed is predestined. The time will come when
its light will appear, when its evidences will be made manifest, and its
secrets unraveled." Dearly-beloved friends! Exalted as is the position
and vital as is the function of the institution of the Guardianship in
the Administrative Order of Baha'u'llah, and staggering as must be the
weight of responsibility which it carries
('Abdu'l-Baha, quoted by Shoghi Effendi: World Order of Baha'u'llah, pages
150-151)
So we can see that the executive is an essential part of the Baha'i Faith. According to 'Abdu'l-Baha we can not have justice nor Paradise without it:
The legislative body must reinforce the executive, the executive must
aid and assist the legislative body so that through the close union and
harmony of these two forces, the foundation of fairness and justice may
become firm and strong, that all the regions of the world may become even
as Paradise itself.
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Will and Testament, page 15)
In 1957, at the death of Shoghi Effendi, his administrative assistants, titled the Hands of the Cause of God, rather than turn obediently to Shoghi Effendi's son, began to take over the Baha'i Faith by claiming that the Guardianship had mysteriously come to an end. They adopted a false doctrine that "some of the provisions of the Covenant had become inoperable." Moreover, the Hands said, "God changed His Mind."
It is a good thing that God is such a better plotter than man is! God had an ace up His sleeve. He sent His son back into the world to break the seven seals and explain the true meaning of the Baha'i Covenant. Dr. Leland Jensen is the prophesied establisher of the Baha'i Faith; like Paul was for Christianity or like Joshua was for Israel. He has decoded the Great Pyramid of Giza. He is a knight of Baha'u'llah and he is mentioned in all the past Revelations. He fulfills prophecies for the Bahana, Ha Aretz, Kalki Avatar, Saoshyant, Maitreya, Melchizedek, the Lamb, the knight on the white horse, and the seventh angel. Dr. Jensen has given the only authoritative interpretation of the book of Revelation. He has also written many books which have helped many Baha'is come Over the Wall of oppression that was built around them by the Hands to cover up their breaking of Baha'u'llah's Covenant. Most importantly, Dr. Jensen has established the second International Baha'i Council which will evolve through four stages becoming the true Universal House of Justice with a Davidic executive. This UHJ is the House of the Lord prophesied of by the Prophet Isaiah:
It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the
house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to
it, and many peoples shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain
of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his
ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth
the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between
the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; and they shall beat their
swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall
not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
(Isaiah 2: 2-4)
For a better understanding of the Covenant of God, please download and read the documents that are made available to you at this site. Then go look at some of the other websites that are linked to this one. We are sure that you will enjoy the vast banquet of knowledge which is available to you, in our network of websites, under the provisions of the Covenant.
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