Bahá'u'lláh and the New EraEsslemont, J. E. (John Ebenezer)
Religion
Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era
Esslemont, J. E. (John Ebenezer)
Bahai Faith; Bahá'u'lláh, 1817-1892
Just as in these letters to Christians He announces the fulfillment of the
Gospel promises, so He proclaims also to Muḥammadan, Jews, Zoroastrians
and the people of other faiths the fulfillment of the promises of their
Holy Books. He addresses all men as the sheep of God, who have hitherto
been divided into different flocks and sheltered in different folds. His
message, He says, is the Voice of God, the Good Shepherd, Who has come in
the fullness of time to gather His scattered sheep into one flock,
removing the barriers between them, that “there may be one fold and one
shepherd.”
A New Situation
The position of Bahá’u’lláh among the Prophets is unprecedented and
unique, because the condition of the world at the time of His advent was
unprecedented and unique. By a long and checkered process of development
in religion, science, art and civilization the world had become ripe for a
teaching of Unity. The barriers which in previous centuries had made a
world unity impossible were ready to crumble when Bahá’u’lláh appeared,
and since His birth, in 1817, and more especially since the promulgation
of His teachings began, these barriers have been breaking down in most
astonishing fashion. Be the explanation what it may, about the fact there
can be no doubt.
In the days of previous Prophets geographical barriers alone were amply
sufficient to prevent world unity. Now that obstacle has been overcome.
For the first time in human history men on opposite sides of the globe are
able to communicate with each other quickly and easily. Things done in
Europe yesterday are known in every continent of the world today, and a
speech made in America today may be read in Europe, Asia and Africa
tomorrow.
Another great obstacle was the language difficulty. Thanks to the study
and teaching of foreign languages, that difficulty has already been to a
large extent overcome; and there is every reason to suppose that ere many
years an international auxiliary language will be adopted and taught in
all the schools of the world. Then this difficulty also will be completely
removed.
The third great obstacle was religious prejudice and intolerance. That,
too, is disappearing. Men’s minds are becoming more open. The education of
the people is passing more and more out of the hands of sectarian priests;
and new and more liberal ideas can no longer be prevented from penetrating
into even the most exclusive and conservative circles.
Bahá’u’lláh is thus the first of the great Prophets Whose message has
become known within a period of comparatively few years in every quarter
of the globe. Within a short time the essential teachings of Bahá’u’lláh,
translated from His own authentic Writings, will be directly accessible to
every man, woman and child in the world who is able to read.
Fullness of the Bahá’í Revelation
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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