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March 10, 2018

Prophecies of Baha'u'llah concerning Adrianople, Constantinople and Rumelia

November 7, 1912
Home of Mrs. Parsons, Washington, D. C.

Although this evening I feel quite fatigued, yet now that I am face to face with you I suddenly feel animated; therefore I shall speak to you.

Consider events in the Balkans today, where a great conflagration is furiously raging and so much blood is being shed. You can say the whole world of humanity is virtually lamenting and mourning because of the revival of this warfare Governments are in the process of change and transformation. The sovereignty of the Orient at large is tottering; it is subjet to the greatest uncertainty. I desire, therefore, to touch upon this subject.

Most especially do I wish to touch upon the phases of this war which Baha’u’llah prophesied forty years ago fully and completely. He addressed a letter to the sultan of Turkey during his exile and while he was under surveillance in the prison of Akka. He likewise addressed epistles to Napoleon III and to the Shah of Persia. All these letters which he sent to the crowns heads of the earth were compiled in a book which was published thirty-five years ago in Bombay, India.

It was published years ago. There are several editions of the book. The first edition was about thirty-five years ago, and another twenty-two years ago. I have with me a copy of the edition of twenty-two years ago.

Professor E. G. Browne, of Cambridge University, wrote a book detailing therein his visit to Akka. He followed that first work by another wherein he quoted extracts from these Tablets or Letters, some of which have been translated into English and are to be found in the libraries. You can look them up in your library here. I thought some of the friends possessed copies of these. Some had copies, but they have passed them on from hand to hand until no one knows where these copies are. Inasmuch as they are published in London you can all secure copies. When you get copies, carefully peruse these extracts, in order that you may see the remarkable statements of these tablets.

In brief, in His words addressed to the Sultan of Turkey He says: "Verily, because of your oppression against the subjects who dwell in your land, and because of your great tyranny in governing, erelong your government will undergo change, and soon you shall be dethroned and Rumelia will be taken out of Turkey or conquered. It will be occupied by others. And in Constantinople there shall come a reign of terror, to such a degree that women will be mourning and wailing, children will be crying, men lamenting, and the cries of these will reach unto heaven."

I wish therefore to read certain parts of this book, citing the very words which Baha'u'llah uttered in that connection. They will be translated to you. The third edition was published in Bombay twenty two-years ago. The date is 1308 A. H. about twenty two-years according to your calendar. The western calendar is different from the east.

(Reading): "O thou King (literally president) verily thou hast committed that whereat the prophet Muhammad mourns and laments in His delectable paradise! Verily the glory of this earth bath made thee haughty because thou hast turned thy face toward the countenance wherefrom light radiates towards all the denizens of the earth. Ere long thou shalt find thyself in the most great loss. Thou has united with the King of Persia, the Shah, in exercising oppression toward Me; even after I cry towards ye from the dawning point of Majesty and Might with a Command which has illumined the eyes of the near ones. Verity this is the day wherein fire declares in all the things." (This is an Arabic text; you must know there are many such similes in Arabic. "Fire'' refers here to the fire in the "bush" seen by Moses.)

''Verily it declares that the Beloved of the world hath appeared, and in the estimation of all things there is a declaration that the Interlocutor of the wise hath appeared, and they are ready to hearken to the Word of the generous and wise. Hast thou imagined that thou canst extinguish a light ignited by God? No verily, by His might and power! By that which thou hast committed, that is to say the persecutions, its volume has been increased and its ignition has augmented, and ere long it will spread and set aglow the denizens of the earth. Even so hath the matter been accomplished, and nothing upon the earth nor in heaven can withstand the onward march of this command."

(This is the prophecy:) "Ere long there shall come a change of affairs; a revolution in the land of mystery, Adrianople, and in its environment (Rumelia) and it will go out of the hand of the King. There shall be a great quaking and be wailing, and revolution and corruption will be witnessed everywhere. In all parts of Rumelia affairs will undergo transformation because of that which hath befallen the captives. (Referring to Baha'u'llah and His party) Verily that government will change, and things will be straightened, and there will be lamentation even of the infants; lamentation to the extent that stones and clay will lament in Constantinople, and even trees and inanimate objects will bemoan and lament. Blood will be spilled in that land, and thou shalt find the people in a great turmoil and trouble.

“Did the Pharaohs withstand the power of the sovereignty of God while they existed upon the earth and when they were of the oppressors? Verily we caused the Interlocutor (Moses) to appear from the house of Pharaoh even to express the great power of God. And recall the time when Nimrod ignited the fire to burn the Friend of God (Abraham) Verily the oppressors have ever exercised a ferocity or oppression toward the wronged ones, endeavoring to exterminate the light of God and extinguish the flame of life.

“We have caused the command to be issued in the countries and we have caused His mission to be proclaimed amongst the unitarians. Verily this youth hath come to unify the denizens of the earth; all of them. Ere long God, through His power, will conquer, and thou shalt find the earth a delectable paradise of Abha. Even so hath this matter been recorded upon a mighty Tablet with the strong pen of God."

Many are the other prophecies in this book; especially to the Shah of Persia, all of which prophecies have come to pass. They are lengthy and we have not time to quote them.

The purpose of this citation is that Baha’u’llah great endeavor in the east was to unify these people, to cause them to agree, to reconcile them one with the other, thereby to manifest the oneness of the world of humanity, to prepare the way for international peace, and to have all enjoy composure and welfare. But they have not hearkened to the summons of Baha'u'llah. Nay rather, both the Persian and Turkish governments arose against His Cause, and the result is that the governments of Persia and Turkey have both gone to pieces. Whereas had they heard His commands and received His admonitions, both of these countries would have been protected. They would have been in the utmost joy and happiness. They would have exercised fellowship together. They would have availed themselves of the wonderful power of love and unity. They would have been well pleased with each other. They would have dwelt in the delectable paradise.

But alas! The commands and behests of the Blessed One have not been listened unto. Nay rather, day after day they have followed their own devices, until now this fire is raging most furiously. 
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Star of the West, vol. 6, no. 2, April 9, 1915)