Chain and Cross IX: The New Jerusalem

"'There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

Associated with the New Jerusalem, the words of Isaiah describe a realm of justice, wholeness of life, domestic security and order. These are the fruits of divine law. Such law is not the law of legislation, but the law inherent in creation. It is the law that applies to our spiritual existence and right behavior. Throughout God's creation, just as the law of gravity applies to the motions of objects around other objects, the law of spirit applies to the motions of human life. Our own lives become, therefore, an act of choice and will to move ourselves into accord with God's law as to engender justice, goodness, order. The falling apple, having no will, simply obeys and drops to the earth. The human being, having a will, struggles in his days to overcome his vanity in order to obey. This is a trait unique to us who are made in God's image, including the possession of will. Our obedience is achieved in bringing our will into accord with God's will.

Familiarity with the apocalyptic writings of St. John the Divine in his Revelation, the images of Daniel, Isaiah, Amos and more in their respective books let us know that woes are destined to pour out onto the world in the end times. These are woes, indeed, to those who choose by their own will to resist the processes that are set in motion by God's will. As such, these trials and ordeals lead to an inevitable result to which we, in this day, witness. Furthermore, that very result will come about through the nations. Through this conflagration and victory will arise the spiritual perspectives and appetite for the correlating and world embracing revelation Baha'u'llah has set down in His writings for this new world, this age of fulfillment.

Shoghi Effendi, that Guardian of the Faith appointed through the protective covenant of Baha'u'llah, has put it this way; "The world is, in truth, moving on towards its destiny. The interdependence of the peoples and nations of the earth, whatever the leaders of the divisive forces of the world may say or do, is already an accomplished fact. Its unity in the economic sphere is now understood and recognized. The welfare of the part means the welfare of the whole, and the distress of the part brings distress to the whole. The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh has, in His own words, 'lent a fresh impulse and set a new direction' to this vast process now operating in the world. The fires lit by this great ordeal are the consequences of men's failure to recognize it. They are, moreover, hastening its consummation. Adversity, prolonged, worldwide, afflictive, allied to chaos and universal destruction, must needs convulse the nations, stir the conscience of the world, disillusion the masses, precipitate a radical change in the very conception of society, and coalesce ultimately the disjointed, the bleeding limbs of mankind into one body, single, organically united, and indivisible.

"To the general character, the implications and features of this world commonwealth, destined to emerge, sooner or later, out of the carnage, agony, and havoc of this great world convulsion, I have already referred in my previous communications. Suffice it to say that this consummation will, by its very nature, be a gradual process, and must, as Bahá'u'lláh has Himself anticipated, lead at first to the establishment of that Lesser Peace which the nations of the earth, as yet unconscious of His Revelation and yet unwittingly enforcing the general principles which He has enunciated, will themselves establish. This momentous and historic step, involving the reconstruction of mankind, as the result of the universal recognition of its oneness and wholeness, will bring in its wake the spiritualization of the masses, consequent to the recognition of the character, and the acknowledgment of the claims, of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh -- the essential condition to that ultimate fusion of all races, creeds, classes, and nations which must signalize the emergence of His New World Order." (Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day is Come, pp. 122-23)

The Kitab-i-Aqdas

Shoghi Effendi tells us that the many epistles of Baha'u'llah proclaiming to every facet of the world His mission, were "...but a prelude to a still mightier revelation of the creative power of its Author, and to what may well rank as the most signal act of His ministry -- the promulgation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Book). Alluded to in the Kitáb-i-Íqán (The Book Of Certitude) ; the principal repository of that Law which the Prophet Isaiah had anticipated, and which the writer of the Apocalypse had described as the "new heaven" and the "new earth," as "the Tabernacle of God," as the "Holy City," as the "Bride," the "New Jerusalem coming down from God," this "Most Holy Book," whose provisions must remain inviolate for no less than a thousand years, and whose system will embrace the entire planet, may well be regarded as the brightest emanation of the mind of Bahá'u'lláh, as the Mother Book of His Dispensation, and the Charter of His New World Order." (Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 213)

Baha'u'llah, Himself said of it, "They whom God hath endued with insight will readily recognize that the precepts laid down by God constitute the highest means for the maintenance of order in the world and the security of its peoples. He that turneth away from them is accounted among the abject and foolish. We, verily, have commanded you to refuse the dictates of your evil passions and corrupt desires, and not to transgress the bounds which the Pen of the Most High hath fixed, for these are the breath of life unto all created things. The seas of Divine wisdom and Divine utterance have risen under the breath of the breeze of the All-Merciful. Hasten to drink your fill, O men of understanding! They that have violated the Covenant of God by breaking His commandments, and have turned back on their heels, these have erred grievously in the sight of God, the All-Possessing, the Most High." (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, pp. 19-20)

Further, He says, "Think not that We have revealed unto you a mere code of laws. Nay, rather, We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and power. To this beareth witness that which the Pen of Revelation hath revealed. Meditate upon this, O men of insight!" (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 20). This quote, bearing the authority of law as it does, coming from the very book of law, is an admonishment to the reader of just how to read all that is to follow. It is to be read as much with the heart as with the eyes and the mind.

"Blessed is the one who discovereth the fragrance of inner meanings from the traces of this Pen through whose movement the breezes of God are wafted over the entire creation, and through whose stillness the very essence of tranquility appeareth in the realm of being. Glorified be the All-Merciful, the Revealer of so inestimable a bounty. Say: Because He bore injustice, justice hath appeared on earth, and because He accepted abasement, the majesty of God hath shone forth amidst mankind." (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 76)

Religion is the means of establishing order and righteousness by setting hearts right, and so it is that law and order must come from within individuals. It is by individual will exercised by every person that any law is accepted. When acceptance is widely shared, groups and communities upholding shared values become solidified and a spiritual community finds strength and sustenance. Good law, is therefore, a spiritual thing. This is a reasoning for finding God's law, for God's law is expressed from the individual spirit and manifests amongst mankind. Man's law, necessary as it is, comes from external sources and regulates conduct from means outside the individual. Divine law, manifesting in the hearts of man is the means of the appearance of the New Jerusalem.

As to worldly law and sovereignty, Baha'u'llah addressed the rulers on this subject saying, "By the righteousness of God! It is not Our wish to lay hands on your kingdoms. Our mission is to seize and possess the hearts of men. Upon them the eyes of Baha are fastened. To this testifieth the Kingdom of Names, could ye but comprehend it. Whoso followeth his Lord will renounce the world and all that is therein; how much greater, then, must be the detachment of Him Who holdeth so august a station! Forsake your palaces, and haste ye to gain admittance into His Kingdom. This, indeed, will profit you both in this world and in the next. To this testifieth the Lord of the realm on high, did ye but know it." (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, pp. 49-50)

By each individual seeking to regulate her or his inner life and motivated by a devotion and love for Baha'u'llah and His sacrifices for us, we strive by faith to master such laws as daily prayer, an annual fast, abstention from backbiting, materially supporting our families and communities, pilgrimage to the holy places, respectful internment of the dead, abstention from alcohol and recreational drugs, engagement in work or occupation, worship through work and the arts and sciences, daily reading of the holy writings, abstention from pride and fanaticism, to name a few. However, in every instance, we must keep in mind that these outward expressions are hollow things without the depths of spiritual reality. Without the heart and the spirit, these are all tepid, shallow things that bear no fruit whatsoever. Each law must be an act of faith, an expression from the heart for love of God and devotion to His ways.

Many of these laws correspond to principles derived from the Bible and holy scriptures of other religious traditions. As such they are the fruits of interpretations made by scholars, clerics and theologians. Often throughout history there have been contentions and rejections of such principles by others who are equally informed and sincere. They have also been susceptible to undermining by many with less than pure motives. Baha'u'llah has set these laws forth in His own hand, and carry the authority worthy of Christ returned. Baha'u'llah sets forth the supreme Word as Manifestation of the Almighty God, and as befits the reality of the New Jerusalem, Baha'u'llah has, in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, provided the ongoing means for upholding the Word and administering the affairs of the New Jerusalem.

"The Lord hath ordained that in every city a House of Justice be established wherein shall gather counsellors to the number of Baha (nine), and should it exceed this number it doth not matter. They should consider themselves as entering the Court of the presence of God, the Exalted, the Most High, and as beholding Him Who is the Unseen. It behoveth them to be the trusted ones of the Merciful among men and to regard themselves as the guardians appointed of God for all that dwell on earth. It is incumbent upon them to take counsel together and to have regard for the interests of the servants of God, for His sake, even as they regard their own interests, and to choose that which is meet and seemly. Thus hath the Lord your God commanded you. Beware lest ye put away that which is clearly revealed in His Tablet. Fear God, O ye that perceive." Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 29)

The Universal House of Justice is the supreme institution of these Houses of Justice. Its formation is a direct outgrowth of Baha'u'llah's law and His Will and Testament in which He appointed His son, 'Abdu'l-Baha, as Center of the Covenant. 'Abdu'l-Baha, by this authority given Him by Baha'u'llah, and by Baha'u'llah's explicit guidance set in order such plans in obedience to His Father. Today, the Universal House of Justice directs the global affairs of the Faith, provides counsel to any who avail themselves of it, fosters the growth of the body of believers in Baha'u'llah's revelation, undertakes to preserve the written Revelation of Baha'u'llah and of His son, responds to nations in their inquiries and in diplomacy and very much more.

"O people of God! That which traineth the world is Justice, for it is upheld by two pillars, reward and punishment. These two pillars are the sources of life to the world. Inasmuch as for each day there is a new problem and for every problem an expedient solution, such affairs should be referred to the Ministers of the House of Justice that they may act according to the needs and requirements of the time. They that, for the sake of God, arise to serve His Cause, are the recipients of divine inspiration from the unseen Kingdom. It is incumbent upon all to be obedient unto them. All matters of State should be referred to the House of Justice, but acts of worship must be observed according to that which God hath revealed in His Book." (Baha'u'llah, "The Tablet of Bisharat (Glad-Tidings)", Tablets of Baha'u'llah, pp. 26-27)

The primacy of Peter was established by Jesus Christ with the words, "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." ( Matthew 16:18-19). There are not the specifics of just how the faith of God is to be preserved and administered in the world in the holy text of the Gospel. But, by the authority of Jesus Christ returned, Baha'u'llah, explicit direction has been provided from the Kitab-i-Aqdas and other writings from His own hand.

In respects to the world; from the time of the revelation of Baha'u'llah, and of His Herald, the Bab, both in the nineteenth century, we can see, even in the material world, all things being made new. Worldly technology by itself has made changes that would simply stagger the classic Rennaisance man of prior time. Accompanying these material changes, new thought, challanging concepts, unbounded imagination has stimulated the minds and hearts of man to the point of unrivaled turbulence. By the spiritual potency of divine revelation, by such writings, by such institutions, and by Baha'u'llah's sacrificial life, God has given unto His creation the means of inevitable fulfillment.

In the words of Baha'u'llah, "We render thanks unto God for whatsoever hath befallen Us, and We patiently endure the things He hath ordained in the past or will ordain in the future. In Him have I placed My trust; and into His hands have I committed My Cause. He will, certainly, repay all them that endure with patience and put their confidence in Him. His is the creation and its empire. He exalteth whom He will, and whom He will He doth abase. He shall not be asked of His doings. He, verily, is the All-Glorious, the Almighty." (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 238)

"In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.

"Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation." (St. Paul, Hebrews 8:5-9:7)

St. Paul further illuminates this process of progressive revelation by emphasizing how outward performance of the law as written in the Torah progresses with Christ to law that is rooted within the believer's mind and heart: First, to repeat, "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:" (St. Paul Hebrews 8:10). Then he goes on to say, "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

"For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." (St. Paul, Hebrews 9:11-15)

"This is the Day, O my Lord, which Thou didst announce unto all mankind as the Day whereon Thou wouldst reveal Thy Self, and shed Thy radiance, and shine brightly over all Thy creatures. Thou hast, moreover, entered into a covenant with them, in Thy Books, and Thy Scriptures, and Thy Scrolls, and Thy Tablets, concerning Him Who is the Day-Spring of Thy Revelation, and hast appointed the Bayan (the revelation of the Bab) to be the Herald of this Most Great and all-glorious Manifestation, and this most resplendent and most sublime Appearance." (Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations, p. 275)

"The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the recognition of Him Who is the Dayspring of His Revelation and the Fountain of His laws, Who representeth the Godhead in both the Kingdom of His Cause and the world of creation. Whoso achieveth this duty hath attained unto all good; and whoso is deprived thereof hath gone astray, though he be the author of every righteous deed. It behoveth every one who reacheth this most sublime station, this summit of transcendent glory, to observe every ordinance of Him Who is the Desire of the world. These twin duties are inseparable. Neither is acceptable without the other. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Source of Divine inspiration.

"They whom God hath endued with insight will readily recognize that the precepts laid down by God constitute the highest means for the maintenance of order in the world and the security of its peoples. He that turneth away from them is accounted among the abject and foolish. We, verily, have commanded you to refuse the dictates of your evil passions and corrupt desires, and not to transgress the bounds which the Pen of the Most High hath fixed, for these are the breath of life unto all created things. The seas of Divine wisdom and Divine utterance have risen under the breath of the breeze of the All-Merciful. Hasten to drink your fill, O men of understanding!" (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, pp. 19-20)

The subject of the covenant is inexhaustible. As regards the revelation of Baha'u'llah and the law and order of the New Jerusalem it is pertinent to summarize these points. The covenant sets forth the unity of all religion from even before the days of Abraham and throughout all mankind's experience. By it, signs were given by every Manifestation of God for the continued progression of revelation down to the present. The culmination of this progression of revelation is in One Who fulfills the promise of every religion, not only Christianity and Judaism, for One Who would, in the midst of earth shaking crisis, draw all nations and peoples into one and establish peace on earth. That One is Baha'ullah. By the covenant, Baha'u'llah assured the continuation of His guidance in His Will and Testament by the naming of His son, 'Abdu'l-Baha as the Center of the Covenant and the one for the faithful to turn to upon His ascension. 'Abdu'l-Baha, drawing upon the authority vested in Him by Baha'u'llah, and drawing also upon Baha'u'llah's written revelation provided for the erection of twin institutions that would carry forward the divine guidance vouchsafed to mankind. These institutions were the Guardianship, to which the great-grandson of Baha'u'llah, Shoghi Effendi, was appointed; and the Universal House of Justice, a counsel of nine chosen by electoral process, from the entire body of the world's believers. These two institutions occupy the pinnacle of the Baha'i adminstrative order and are the conduits of the spirit of God to any and all who would choose to avail themselves of them. By the guidance of these institutions, the New Jerusalem grows, even now, and is destined to emerge amidst mankind as an assurance, a refuge, a bulwark, a stability in an increasingly disrupted world.

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." (Isaiah 2:2-4)

Chain and Cross IX: The New Jerusalem

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