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The proof of the validity of a Manifestation of God is the penetration and potency of His Word, the cultivation of heavenly attributes in the hearts and lives of His followers and the bestowal of divine education upon the world of humanity. This is absolute proof. The world is a school in which there must be Teachers of the Word of God. The evidence of the ability of these Teachers is efficient education of the graduating classes. (Promulgation 341) (99:1) To know the truth of Baha'u'llah, for example, we need to examine how He has affected the lives of those who follow Him. This evidence is now manifest in the labours of dedicated Baha'is. These followers of Baha'u'llah, who can now be found throughout the world, are abandoning their age-old prejudices and animosities and are working to build a world that is an outward expression of the Kingdom of God which they have experienced within themselves. (99:2) Lightning out of the East-- From a Baha'i point of view, we do not need to seek out so-called prophets in 'deserts' or 'secret chambers'. A prophet's teachings and cause, which are great evidences of His truth, spread quickly and visibly, even as Jesus prophesied, like 'lightning' which 'cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west' (v. 27). Baha'u'llah indicates the fulfilment of this prophecy with these words: (99:3) Say: In the East the Light of His Revelation hath broken; in the West the signs of His dominion have appeared. (Tablets of Baha'u'llah 13) (99:4) Jesus' prophecy (v. 27) could foretell many things. For example, it could refer to the speed with which the Baha'i Faith became known to the western world through press accounts or the number of believers who appeared in countries such as England and America during the first years of the twentieth century. In his book, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah, Adib Taherzadeh suggested that this prophecy may refer to the establishment of the Baha'i administrative order in Europe and, especially, America.
(99:5)
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