Prophecies Given by Baha'u'llah (18:2)

In the Bible we are told that God knows the future and that He will cause whatever events are necessary in order to make His prophecies come true: (18:3)

I am God, and there is none like me. (18:4)

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. (18:5)

From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. (isa 46:9-11 NIV) (18:6) see

And in the verses below, we see that if the predictions of a prophet do not come true, then that prophet is false: (18:7)

And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? (18:8)

When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. (deu 18:21-22) (18:9) see

Jesus also confirms the importance of prophetic knowledge when He says and he will shew you things to come (joh 16:13). (18:10) see

No one can predict future events with complete accuracy unless He is of God. And this is what Baha'u'llah has done: (18:11)

We have laid bare the divine mysteries and in most explicit language foretold future events. (tbh 241) (18:12)

Most of the things which have come to pass on this earth have been announced and prophesied by the Most Sublime Pen.. (18:13)

All that hath been sent down hath and will come to pass, word for word, upon earth. No possibility is left for anyone either to turn aside or protest. (esw 148, 150) (18:14)

Baha'u'llah's letters to the kings and rulers of the world, whom He addressed collectively and individually, fulfilled these words of the Isaiah: (18:15)

And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people. (isa 2:4) (18:16) see

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. (isa 24:21) (18:17) see

From His prison, Baha'u'llah wrote:
O kings of the earth! He Who is the sovereign Lord of all is come. The Kingdom is God's, the omnipotent Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Worship none but God, and, with radiant hearts, lift up your faces unto your Lord, the Lord of all names. This is a Revelation to which whatever ye possess can never be compared, could ye but know it. We see you rejoicing in that which ye have amassed for others, and shutting out yourselves from the worlds which naught except My Guarded Tablet can reckon.The treasures ye have laid up have drawn you far away from your ultimate objective.This ill beseemeth you, could ye but understand it. Wash your hearts from all earthly defilements, and hasten to enter the Kingdom of your Lord, the Creator of earth and heaven, Who caused the world to tremble, and all its peoples to wail, except them that have renounced all things and clung to that which the Hidden Tablet hath ordained. (pob p. 5) (18:18)

Not one of the rulers of His day was found to investigate His claim. He warned, and then predicted, the downfall of those who turned a deaf ear to His words. (18:19)

Below are brief descriptions of some of Baha'u'llah's prophecies. (For those interested in further study, thirty prophecies of Baha'u'llah and their fulfillment are discussed with wonderful succinctness and clarity in a book entitled Every Eye Shall See, by Gary Matthews. Two other books by the same author, The Challenge of Baha'u'llah and He Cometh With Clouds, fully document the circumstances by which each one of these prophecies has been dramatically fulfilled.) (18:20)

Fall of Napoleon III and the loss of his empire (18:21)

Napoleon III of France was the most prominent and influential monarch of the western world at the time of Baha'u'llah. In Baha'u'llah's first Tablet to him, He proclaimed that He was from God and commanded the emperor to give ear to His Voice. Napoleon is reported to have flung down the Tablet and said "If this man is God, I am two gods!" (pdc 52) (18:22)

Because of this, Baha'u'llah wrote a second Tablet to Napoleon in which He states: (18:23)

Hadst thou been sincere in thy words, thou wouldst have not cast behind thy back the Book of God, when it was sent unto thee by Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Wise. We have proved thee through it, and found thee other than that which thou didst profess. Arise, and make amends for that which escaped thee. Erelong the world and all that thou possessest will perish, and the kingdom will remain unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy fathers of old. It behoveth thee not to conduct thine affairs according to the dictates of thy desires. Fear the sighs of this Wronged One, and shield Him from the darts of such as act unjustly. (18:25)

For what thou hast done, thy kingdom shall be thrown into confusion, and thine empire shall pass from thine hands, as a punishment for that which thou hast wrought. Then wilt thou know how thou hast plainly erred. Commotions shall seize all the people in that land, unless thou arisest to help this Cause, and followest Him Who is the Spirit of God in this, the Straight Path. Hath thy pomp made thee proud? By My Life! It shall not endure; nay, it shall soon pass away, unless thou holdest fast to this firm Cord. We see abasement hastening after thee, whilst thou art of the heedless. (slh 72) (18:26)

Baha'u'llah wrote these words in 1869. Less than a year later, Napoleon was defeated in what was, at that time, the greatest surrender recorded in modern history. (18:27)

The destruction of the German Empire in two wars on German soil (18:28)

In His Writings, Baha'u'llah addresses William I, the newly acclaimed emperor of a unified Germany, and tells him to hearken unto His Voice, the Voice of God, Himself. Baha'u'llah bids William to remember Napoleon, the one who cast the Tablet of God behind him, and to think deeply about the end that he suffered: (18:29)

Do thou remember the one whose power transcended thy power, and whose station excelled thy station. Where is he? Whither are gone the things he possessed? Take warning, and be not of them that are fast asleep. He it was who cast the Tablet of God behind him when We made known unto him what the hosts of tyranny had caused Us to suffer. Wherefore, disgrace assailed him from all sides, and he went down to dust in great loss. Think deeply, O King, concerning him, and concerning them who, like unto thee, have conquered cities and ruled over men. The All-Merciful brought them down from their palaces to their graves. Be warned, be of them who reflect.. (18:30)

O banks of the Rhine! We have seen you covered with gore, inasmuch as the swords of retribution were drawn against you; and you shall have another turn. And We hear the lamentations of Berlin, though she be today in conspicuous glory. (kaq 51, 53) (18:31)

World War I and World War II devastated the German empire, fulfilling this prophecy. (18:32)

Fall and destruction of the Ottoman Empire, the Sultanate, and the Caliphate (18:33)

During Baha'u'llah's lifetime, Persia was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, whose capital was Constantinople. At the instigation of the Persian government, the Ottoman rulers exiled Baha'u'llah four times, without cause, without even investigating the false accusations made against Him. The tyrannical Sultan Abdu'l-'Aziz issued three of the four decrees exiling Baha'u'llah, subjecting Him and His Faith to great cruelty and suffering. At that time, the Ottoman Empire had reached its sixth century. The sultan ruled the Ottoman Empire through the institution of the Sultanate, and the Faith of Islam through the Caliphate. (18:34)

Baha'u'llah predicted the downfall of the sultan and his ministers, the destruction of Constantinople, the future sufferings of the Ottoman Empire and its eventual extinction, and the fall of the Caliphate. (18:35)

Baha'u'llah summoned the sultan with these words:
Hearken, O king! to the speech of Him that speaketh the truth, Him that doth not ask thee to recompense Him with the things God hath chosen to bestow upon thee, Him Who unerringly treadeth the Straight Path.. Observe, O king, with thine inmost heart and with thy whole being, the precepts of God, and walk not in the paths of the oppressor.. Place not thy reliance on thy treasures. Put thy whole confidence in the grace of God, thy Lord.. Overstep not the bounds of moderation, and deal justly with them that serve thee.. Set before thine eyes God's unerring Balance, and, as one standing in His presence, weigh in that Balance thine actions, every day, every moment of thy life. Bring thyself to account ere thou art summoned to a reckoning, on the Day when no man shall have strength to stand for fear of God, the Day when the hearts of the heedless ones shall be made to tremble. (18:36)

The day is approaching, when the Land of Mystery (Adrianople), and what is beside it shall be changed, and shall pass out of the hands of the king, and commotions shall appear, and the voice of lamentation shall be raised, and the evidences of mischief shall be revealed on all sides, and confusion shall spread by reason of that which hath befallen these captives at the hands of the hosts of oppression. The course of things shall be altered, and conditions shall wax so grievous, that the very sands on the desolate hills will moan, and the trees on the mountain will weep, and blood will flow out of all things. Then wilt thou behold the people in sore distress. (18:37)

Soon, will He seize you in His wrathful anger, and sedition will be stirred up in your midst, and your dominions will be disrupted. Then will ye bewail and lament, and will find none to help or succor you.. Be expectant, however, for the wrath of God is ready to overtake you. Erelong will ye behold that which hath been sent down from the Pen of My command. (pdc 60-61) (18:38)

All of the dire warnings that Baha'u'llah issued came true. A remarkable series of calamities-wars, disease, revolutions, massacres-befell the people and government. Eight years after the final exile of Baha'u'llah to the prison city of 'Akka, Sultan 'Abdu'l-Aziz was overthrown. Four days after this, he was assassinated. The succession of disasters that bankrupted and devastated the empire finally resulted in its extinction. By 1923, having entered its seventh century, the Ottoman Empire was no more. The following year, the Caliphate was abolished. (18:39)

Downfall of the Shah of Iran and of the Qajar Dynasty (18:40)

The ruler of Iran during Baha'u'llah's lifetime was Nasiri'd-Din Shah. His reign was stained by many cruel atrocities, including the execution of Baha'u'llah's Herald; the imprisonment of Baha'u'llah; His exiles to Baghdad, Constantinople, Adrianople and 'Akka; and the torture and death of thousands of Baha'is in an attempt to strangle the Faith in the land of its birth. To him Baha'u'llah wrote: (18:41)

O King! I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing. And He bade Me lift up My voice between earth and heaven, and for this there befell Me what hath caused the tears of every man of understanding to flow. The learning current amongst men I studied not; their schools I entered not. Ask of the city wherein I dwelt, that thou mayest be well assured that I am not of them who speak falsely. This is but a leaf which the winds of the will of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Praised, have stirred. Can it be still when the tempestuous winds are blowing? Nay, by Him Who is the Lord of all Names and Attributes! They move it as they list. The evanescent is as nothing before Him Who is the Ever-Abiding. His all-compelling summons hath reached Me, and caused Me to speak His praise amidst all people. I was indeed as one dead when His behest was uttered. The hand of the will of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Merciful, transformed Me. (slh 98) (18:42)

Baha'u'llah denounced the shah as the Prince of Oppressors and wrote that soon he would be made an object-lesson for the world (gpb 225). (18:43)

In 1896, Nasiri'd-Din Shah was assassinated on the eve of his jubilee-a celebration intended to be so elaborate that it would have been regarded as the greatest day in the history of his nation. After his death, the dynasty that he represented steadily declined and ended in 1925. (18:44)

Success of Queen Victoria's Reign (18:45)

Baha'u'llah praised Queen Victoria for her actions. In His tablet to her, He wrote: (18:46)

We have been informed that thou hast forbidden the trading in slaves, both men and women.. (18:47)

We have also heard that thou hast entrusted the reins of counsel into the hands of the representatives of the people. Thou, indeed, hast done well, for thereby the foundations of the edifice of thine affairs will be strengthened, and the hearts of all that are beneath thy shadow, whether high or low, will be tranquillized. (slh 89-90) (18:48)

It is said that Queen Victoria, upon reading the Tablet revealed for her by Baha'u'llah, remarked: "If this is of God, it will endure; if not, it can do no harm." (pdc 65) (18:49)

Not only was Queen Victoria's reign prosperous, but it represents one of the longest reigns in modern history, for she was in the 64th year of her reign when she passed away. And, although not an absolute monarchy, the British Crown still endures. It is astonishing to note that Queen Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of sixteen sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms. Baha'u'llah's words of praise to Queen Victoria were prophetic, indeed. (18:50)

The Baha'i Faith Will Remain United (18:51)

Baha'u'llah proclaims that this is the Day which shall never be followed by night, the Springtime which autumn will never overtake (gpb 99), These are references to the fact that His Faith will never suffer from division. (18:52)

Baha'u'llah has protected His Faith from division by the power of the Covenant which He has established in His Will, written with His own hand in the clearest terms. In it, He states that the authority to interpret His Word and maintain the unity of His Faith would pass to His eldest son, 'Abdu'l-Baha. Baha'u'llah also prescribed the institutions that would govern the affairs of His Faith. In this way, He has protected His Faith from the man-made dogmas and institutions that have been the cause of conflict and division in past ages. (18:53)

Although since the Faith began there have been Baha'is who, driven by ego, have attempted to gather their own following, and there have been persons outside the Faith who would hope for the Baha'i Faith to split, nothing more than momentary breaches of unity have ever occurred, and the Baha'i Faith has continued to grow, singular and unimpeded, for almost 170 years. (18:54)

In addition to the specific prophecies made by Baha'u'llah, some of which are discussed above, there is another class of "prophecy" made by Baha'u'llah which should be mentioned here: His vision of the future of society. (18:55)

Prophecies Given by Baha'u'llah (18:56)

To put into perspective Baha'u'llah's insight we must consider that He was born and grew up in a society that in many ways was profoundly superstitious, prejudiced, and fanatical. Baha'u'llah never attended school. He spent most of His life as an exile and prisoner of the Ottoman Empire, experiencing the cruelest deprivation. All of His Writings were revealed spontaneously and with great rapidity-either written by His own hand or recorded by one of His followers as He revealed them. His Words were never premeditated, never revised or corrected, never changed. All of His Words-even entire books-were revealed in final form from beginning to end. Indeed, He was like a perfect mirror reflecting the Words revealed by God. Once the light of the sun strikes a mirror and is reflected, there is no way to take back the light. And so it was with Baha'u'llah's Words; once they were uttered, they were final. He wrote extensively-the equivalent of one hundred volumes over a period of forty years. Many of His writings on the prerequisites for the establishment of a thriving, spiritual world civilization were so far-sighted that it has only been with the passage of time that the world has appreciated their value. Some of His Teachings are still considered utopian, and will only be realized after mankind endures further suffering because of it's neglect of spiritual values. (18:57)

What did Baha'u'llah have to say about the future? (18:58)

He predicted the eventual unification of the human race. The principle enshrined in His words Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch (gwb, CXXXII) is increasingly used by society at large as the standard by which all efforts at social progress are measured. His proclamation of the oneness of humankind, uttered at a time when it was common for certain peoples to think that others were sub-human, has since been confirmed by every human science: biology, anatomy, genetics, sociology, anthropology, physiology, and psychology, to name some. (18:59)

Baha'u'llah predicted the establishment of world peace after a period of great suffering. He wrote that peace will come in two stages, which He referred to as the Lesser Peace and the Most Great Peace. After the lack of response to His message, Baha'u'llah admonished the rulers: (18:60)

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. (pdc 27) (18:61)

The Baha'i Writings state that the Lesser Peace, in which the nations of the world will reluctantly implement Baha'u'llah's principle of collective security-unaware that the guiding Hand of God is directing their destiny-will come about as a result of immense suffering which humanity will bring upon itself. The Lesser Peace will represent the end of war, but will not represent an end to mankind's suffering, which will continue to deepen because of its lack of spirituality. The Most Great Peace, on the other hand, will be the result of the maturation of humankind consequent to its spiritualization over a long period of time. (18:62)

Baha'u'llah predicted the establishment of the full equality of women and men. His teaching that women and men have been and will always be equal in the sight of God was revealed at a time when women in any country didn't even have the right to vote, when they were oppressed in one form or another in every nation. But now, increasingly, this principle is recognized as vital to the future of humanity. The Baha'i Writings state that this principle is one of the most important, though less acknowledged, prerequisites to the establishment of world peace, for it is only when women are accorded full participation in the life of society that their collective desire for peace will be realized. (18:63)

Baha'u'llah predicted that the world would one day adopt an auxiliary language to facilitate communication among peoples in order to remedy the fundamental lack of communication which undermines efforts towards peace. He wrote: (18:64)

The day is approaching when all the peoples of the world will have adopted one universal language and one common script. When this is achieved, to whatsoever city a man may journey, it shall be as if he were entering his own home. (pob 115) (18:65)

Although when Baha'u'llah wrote these words, the adoption of a world language seemed inconceivable, it now appears inevitable. (18:66)

Baha'u'llah predicted the explosion of scientific knowledge. He stated: In the days to come, ye will, verily, behold things of which ye have never heard before, and referred to the most marvelous sciences that would be manifest.. in the course of time at the bidding of Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Knowing (gwb, LXXIV). The stupendous advances in science that have occurred since the time of His statements on this subject have all confirmed His prophetic knowledge. (18:67)

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