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It is these teachings, which argue for a strong affirmation of the Bible, that make Baha'u'llah's claims especially challenging. From a Christian point of view, none of Baha'u'llah's claims are as extraordinary as His claim to have fulfilled the prophecies of the Bible. Baha'u'llah wrote: (17:1) He [Baha'u'llah], verily, hath again come down from heaven, even as He [Christ] came down from it the first time. Beware lest ye dispute that which He [Baha'u'llah] proclaimeth, even as the people [Pharisees] before you disputed His [Christ's] utterances. Thus instructeth you the True One, could ye but perceive it. (Tablets of Baha'u'llah 11, clarifications added) (17:2) This passage alludes to Jesus' statement that He came down from heaven (John 6:38). By claiming to have come from heaven, Jesus symbolically indicated His divine origin. The Jews interpreted Jesus' words literally and disputed with Him for making this claim because, from their point of view, Jesus had simply been physically born of Mary (John 6:41-2). By alluding to the claims of Jesus and how the Jews misunderstood them and failed to perceive Jesus' truth, Baha'u'llah is pointing out both His own divine claims and the dangers of failing to comprehend them correctly. In another passage, Baha'u'llah states: (17:3) He [Baha'u'llah], in truth, hath come unto the world in His most great glory, and all that hath been mentioned in the Gospel hath been fulfilled. (Epistle 60, clarification added) (17:4) In this passage, Baha'u'llah's terminology recalls the prophecy of Matthew 24:30, 'the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory'. We will examine this prophecy in detail later in the commentary. For now, it is sufficient to observe that Baha'u'llah's allusion to Matthew, chapter 24, is followed by words making an open connection between His ministry and the prophecies of the Gospel. There can be little doubt as to the magnitude of the claims Baha'u'llah advanced.
(17:5)
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