Page 47 of  excerpts

The greater crisis was not coming from Rome but from inside themselves. Their subjugation by Rome was merely an outward calamity, perhaps visited upon them because of the inner spiritual crisis that the Jewish nation was suffering. The remedy Christ prescribed was to heal this spiritual ailment. As 'Abdu'l-Baha writes: (47:1)

Jesus... founded the sacred Law on a basis of moral character and complete spirituality, and for those who believed in Him He delineated a special way of life which constitutes the highest type of action on earth. And while those emblems of redemption [the Christians] were to outward seeming abandoned to the malevolence and persecution of their tormentors, in reality they had been delivered out of the hopeless darkness which encompassed the Jews and they shone forth in everlasting glory at the dawn of that new day. (Secret of Divine Civilization 82, clarification added) (47:2)

By keeping these points in mind, we can help ourselves avoid making the same mistake. People who have seen outward calamities, such as earthquakes, wars, and famines, as signs of Christ's imminent return have not only been repeatedly disappointed but have entirely overlooked the deeper meaning of the Scriptures. If Jesus was truly saying that primarily outward signs were going to herald His Second Advent, especially such signs as earthquakes and famines, the repeated injunction to watch (Matt. 24:42; 2 Pet. 3:12) would be of little concern. In fact, believers could disregard the warning until the ground began to shake under their feet and the end was then upon them. If the final end did not occur, they could cease watching until the next earthquake sounded the alert. Obviously, true faithfulness could not proceed on such a basis. (47:3)

Distinguishing Material from Spiritual Catastrophes-- There is no doubt that outward earthquakes and other physical calamities have awakened many from their apathy and served as potent reminders of Jesus' words, but it must be admitted that such events are not uncommon. Earthquakes, for example, have unquestionably been a part of human existence as long as people have lived on this planet. Today it is commonly accepted that earthquakes are caused by continental drift, a theory which suggests that earthquakes will forever remain a simple and irrevocable geological occurrence (47:4)

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