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All the Tribes of the Earth Shall Mourn-- With reference to, 'And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn' (Matt.24:30), Baha'u'llah explains:-- These words signify that in those days men will lament the loss of the Sun of the divine beauty, of the Moon of knowledge, and of the Stars of divine wisdom. (Certitude 66-7) (120:1) This passage indicates that by 'moon' is meant the suffering experienced with the decline of religion and spiritual truth. This interpretation, like most of Baha'u'llah's interpretations, is spiritual in nature. It emphasizes a meaning deeply involved with the state of our souls and describes the circumstances heralding the advent of all Prophets. Its meaning is not bound by reference to a particular historical event. (120:2) In the above excerpt, Baha'u'llah explains Matthew 24:30 with reference to Muhammad. (120:3) The Appearance of the Son of Man-- All the signs mentioned thus far can be explained by physical events which are entirely within the realm of possibility and require no alteration of natural laws. But, progressively, the signs Jesus speaks of become more extraordinary. First He speaks of wars, famines and other disasters which are physical events that have occurred throughout history. He then speaks of rarer signs in heaven, but even these signs may have plausible explanations if we assume that the stars falling are meteors and that the sun and moon can be darkened by eclipses or by atmospheric conditions. Then, however, He speaks of the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven. This great event has no parallel in the world of natural phenomena.
(120:4)
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