Public Announcement from the living guardian of the Baha'i Faith

 Public Announcement from the living guardian of the Baha'i Faith

 

Dear friends,

Allah’u’Abha!

‘Abdu’l-Baha has explained in his many writings that a person is already a Baha’i if they are the personal living embodiment of the Spirit of Baha’u’llah and all His teachings, the primary focus being their personal devotion and understanding of the knowledge of the Oneness of Humanity. He states they are real Baha’is even if they have never heard the word or name of Baha’u’llah. The Baha’i understanding of this truth and verity can be found in Baha’u’llah and the New Era for example.

The same holds true for those souls and communities who are already aware of the name and identity of Baha’u’llah and who are living the perfect embodiment of the Baha’i teachings even if they have never heard the word or the name of the true Covenant and successorship of Baha’u’llah today.

As of the year 2001 AD, when the Divine Standard of the genealogy of Baha’u’llah was first unfurled (signalizing the start of the Golden Age of the Dispensation of Baha’u’llah) we can see by this spiritual criteria the majority of the people of all the world are in fact now already Baha’i.

Likewise those that self-identify as Baha’is knowingly in the various communities throughout the world, are in fact reckoned under the provisions of the Covenant spiritually, even if they have not as yet received the direct outward knowledge of the identity of the Covenant in this day: and the proof is that they are obviously the living embodiments of the Spirit of the Covenant today as fellow equal heirs in the Kingdom; and as soon as the hear the news, they accept it without hesitation.

The Centenary of the Covenant (this November 28, 2021) marks the opening of the second Epoch of the Golden Age of the Dispensation of Baha’u’llah, the first Epoch being the first Vahid from 2001 until now in 2020/2021 AD. According to Shoghi Effendi:

The “Golden Age of that Dispensation--a Dispensation which, as the Author of the Faith has Himself categorically asserted, must extend over a period of no less than one thousand years, and which will constitute the first stage in a series of Dispensations, to be established by future Manifestations, all deriving their inspiration from the Author of the Baha’i Revelation, and destined to last, in their aggregate, no less than five thousand centuries.” (Citadel of Faith (CF), p. 5)

“In the course of the Golden Age, destined to consummate the Dispensation itself, the banner of the Most Great Peace, promised by its Author, will have been unfurled (September 11-21, 2001, the Autumnal Equinox), the World Baha’i Commonwealth will have emerged in the plenitude of its power and splendor, and the birth and efflorescence of a world civilization, the child of that Peace, will have conferred its inestimable blessings upon all mankind.” (Citadel of Faith (CF), p. 6)

The “birth and efflorescence of a world civilization” is now taking place as promised during the Golden Age of Baha’u’llah. The firm and indestructible foundation (of this first centenary of the current appointed phase) for the future election of “the Supreme Tribunal” mentioned in the Will and Testament (page 13) has been permanently laid and established. The presence of God (shekinah) upon the earth shall never be altered or removed as embodied in the “House of the Lord” the “House of Justice” as now permanently Tabernacled upon the planet earth as it is in heaven, through the life-giving power of the Covenant.

“This House of Justice enacteth the laws and the government enforceth them. The legislative body must reinforce the executive [the Guardian], the executive [BRANCH--Davidic] 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.” (Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, p. 15)

This second Epoch of the Golden Age, of which we are now entering within, shall see the News of the Covenant, and the truth of the divine Testament, spread rapidly, like wide-fire, throughout the entire Baha’i word, in a more vigorous and unstoppable fashion, and simultaneously, the world at large will hear more and more about the Baha’i faith in general and the revelation of Baha’u’llah for the Oneness of Humanity in particular.

As the people of the world deepen, knowingly or unknowingly, in the 12 Principles of Baha’u’llah, the Baha’i peoples of the world, are deepening knowingly or unknowingly, in the Spirit of the Covenant, which (through the authentic House of Justice (head and body both)) directs all the affairs of the faith upon the earth, whether they are aware of that fact outwardly or not.

Shoghi Effendi provides some glimpses and insights into the Golden Age of Baha’u’llah we are in now:
“The “Golden Age” is the maturity of the Revelation of Baha’u’llah and it will start with the unification of the world [begun at the 9-11, 2001, the year al-mustaghath]; that marks its beginning… As far as this planet is concerned, there is nothing beyond this Golden Age. Thence its endurance for five hundred thousand years [see Cablegram Jan. 9, 1951: “5000 century cycle], just as the individual States in the U.S.A. united to form one federal government, so the nations of the world will unite to form one federal international government, which is the highest thing for this planet…The Cause is impelled forward through crises. The spread of the Cause precipitates crises, and the crises gives the spread of the Cause a chance to overcome it, and the solution of the crisis through the operation of the Cause facilitates the spread of the Cause. Growth, crisis, and the manifestation of the spirit of the Cause; and then it starts again, further growth, crisis, triumph, etc. The Bab’s Revelation released the forces required to bring about the maturity of the human race. When we enter the Golden Age of this Cause [begun in 2001 AD], then this maturity becomes a fact. The Golden Age is when it yields its fruit. The culmination of a process, the consummation of a cycle…The Cause is like the body of a man, growing continuously, and crises occur which are a sign of growth. There will always be crises even in the Golden age. The Golden Age will witness no decline. It is a new phase--the Golden Age!”

“To re-establish Islam from a spiritual point of view, will be one of the tasks of the Baha’is in the Golden Age. To vindicate the spiritual position of the Imams, not to re-establish the machinery of Islam. It is these crises in the world [such as the current global World War of Terror] that unfold to us the importance of these events.”

“Peter’s position in relation to Christianity and Ali’s in relation to Islam is represented by two institutions in the Cause: the Guardianship and the International House of Justice.”

“The stage of mass conversion will come after the next war [WW III]. Accepting the Cause in the days of the Manifestation when its glory is not yet manifest is one stage, and then conversion in the Golden Age which is very easy. Three stages, a) the Heroic Age: the days of the Bab, Baha’u’llah and the Master; next is b) the Formative Stage, consolidation of the administration [establishment of the IBC/UHJ in 1991: “the last and crowning stage in the erection of the framework of the Administrative Order” (CF, p. 6)]; and then the Golden Age and mass conversion.”

“The catastrophe is inevitable and needs be to purge the world. It will be something the world has never seen and will effect every nation, country, class and creed. The world has high blood pressure and this will be the blood letting. Blood will run everywhere. It will purge the world and then cement the remnants together…The new World Order is the child [see Isaiah 11] and it will mature into the world civilization. There will be no decline in the future. It will be like a spiral, ever upwards. There may be moments that stop, but no decline. This is the Day that is not followed by night--the Golden Age!” (Shoghi Effendi to May Maxwell, 1937; and to Gladys and Elmer Beasley, 1953)

Greetings this blessed day in the Golden Age!

I remain yours,
your servant,
Neal.