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By following the teachings of Baha'u'llah and promoting them throughout the world, Baha'is believe they are in the process of establishing the Kingdom of God on earth in this age. Shoghi Effendi stated that the Baha'i Faith is 'no less than the fulfilment of the Promise given by Jesus Christ, and the establisher of the Kingdom He Himself had prayed for and foretold' (God Passes By 318; see also Advent 73-4). At the dedication of the first Baha'i Temple in America, 'Abdu'l-Baha stated that the Temple's construction marked 'the inception of the Kingdom of God on earth' (Citadel of Faith 69). However, 'Abdu'l-Baha's teachings suggest that He believed the Kingdom had already been established, that is, in the hearts of the believers, even before the occasion of the Temple dedication. Moreover, Baha'u'llah, referring to those who have accepted His Cause, wrote 'they who were not in the Kingdom have now entered it' (Proclamation 91). Therefore, it seems reasonable to assume that 'Abdu'l-Baha, at the Temple dedication, was referring to the fact that the inner spiritual awakening and transformation that had already occurred was now manifesting itself outwardly in the construction of the Temple. (193:3) The Baha'i teachings and beliefs about the establishment of the Kingdom do not appear, however, to preclude the idea that the Kingdom of God was established 'on earth' in the Christian era. That is, the Kingdom was established to the degree that Christ's teachings were followed and were able to bring about changes in the world at that time. The building of the first cathedrals in the Christian era, for example, could be regarded in a similar light as the construction of the first Baha'i Temple on the North American continent.
(193:4)
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