October 30th, 1911
Paris, France
In the Bible there are prophecies of the coming of Christ.
The Jews still await the coming of the Messiah, and pray to God day and night
to hasten His advent.
When Christ came they denounced and slew Him, saying: ‘This
is not the One for whom we wait. Behold when the Messiah shall come, signs and
wonders shall testify that He is in truth the Christ. We know the signs and
conditions, and they have not appeared. The Messiah will arise out of an
unknown city. He shall sit upon the throne of David, and
behold, He shall come with a sword of steel, and with a sceptre of iron shall
He rule! He shall fulfil the law of the Prophets, He shall conquer the East and
the West, and shall glorify His chosen people the Jews. He shall bring with Him
a reign of peace, during which even the animals shall cease to be at enmity
with man. For behold the wolf and the lamb shall drink from the same spring,
and the lion and the doe shall lie down in the same pasture, the serpent and
the mouse shall share the same nest, and all God’s creatures shall be at rest’.
According to the Jews, Jesus the Christ fulfilled none of
these conditions, for their eyes were holden and they could not see.
He came from Nazareth, no unknown place. He carried no sword
in His hand, nor even a stick. He did not sit upon the Throne of David, He was
a poor man. He reformed the Law of Moses, and broke the Sabbath Day. He did not
conquer the East and the West, but was Himself subject to the Roman Law. He did
not exalt the Jews, but taught equality and brotherhood, and rebuked the
Scribes and Pharisees. He brought in no reign of peace, for during His lifetime
injustice and cruelty reached such a height that even He Himself fell a victim
to it, and died a shameful death upon the cross.
Thus the Jews thought and spoke, for they did not understand
the Scriptures nor the glorious truths that were contained in them. The letter
they knew by heart, but of the life-giving spirit they understood not a word.
Hearken, and I will show you the meaning thereof. Although
He came from Nazareth, which was a known place, He also came from Heaven. His
body was born of Mary, but His Spirit came from Heaven. The sword He carried
was the sword of His tongue, with which He divided the good from the evil, the
true from the false, the faithful from the unfaithful, and the light from the
darkness. His Word was indeed a sharp sword! The Throne upon which He sat is
the Eternal Throne from which Christ reigns for ever, a heavenly throne, not an
earthly one, for the things of earth pass away but heavenly things pass not
away. He re-interpreted and completed the Law of Moses and fulfilled the Law of
the Prophets. His word conquered the East and the West. His Kingdom is
everlasting. He exalted those Jews who recognized Him. They were men and women
of humble birth, but contact with Him made them great and gave them everlasting
dignity. The animals who were to live with one another signified the different
sects and races, who, once having been at war, were now to dwell in love and
charity, drinking together the water of life from Christ the Eternal Spring.
Thus, all the spiritual prophecies concerning the coming of
Christ were fulfilled, but the Jews shut their eyes that they should not see,
and their ears that they should not hear, and the Divine Reality of Christ
passed through their midst unheard, unloved and unrecognized.
It is easy to read the Holy Scriptures, but it is only with
a clean heart and a pure mind that one may understand their
true meaning. Let us ask God’s help to enable us to understand the Holy Books.
Let us pray for eyes to see and ears to hear, and for hearts that long for
peace.
God’s eternal Mercy is immeasurable. He has always chosen
certain souls upon whom He has shed the Divine Bounty of His heart, whose minds
He has illumined with celestial light, to whom He has revealed the sacred
mysteries, and kept clear before their sight the Mirror of Truth. These are the
disciples of God, and His goodness has no bounds. You who are servants of the
Most High may be disciples also. The treasuries of God are limitless.
The Spirit breathing through the Holy Scriptures is food for
all who hunger. God Who has given the revelation to His Prophets will surely
give of His abundance daily bread to all those who ask Him faithfully.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Paris Talks’)
