There is a Tablet remarkably similar in tone, concerning the next Manifestation, quoted by Shoghi Effendi on p. 117 of The World Order of Baha'u'llah: "I am not apprehensive for My own self ... My fears are for Him Who will be sent down unto you after Me -- Him Who will be invested with great sovereignty and mighty dominion."
Oh, that's right. I guess the difference is that 'Abdu'l-Baha is never said to have been "sent down" (I haven't checked throughly, but correct me if I'm wrong). He says that the Manifestations are sent down (SWAB, p. 278).
The context makes clear that this refers to the next Manifestation of God. In the previous paragraph Baha'u'llah quotes from the Surih-i-Sabr, revealed in the Garden of Ridvan in Baghdad. On the first day on which He declared Himself in 1863, Baha'u'llah stated explicitly that no Manifestation with a revelation direct from God would appear for at least one thousand years.
Is the correct date for the commencement of the thousand years 1852, as stated in the Notes to the Aqdas on p. 196? Or is it 1863? That Baha'u'llah would say at that time that no Manifestation would come for at least one thousand years would seem to indicate the latter. But perhaps He figured the difference was trivial, and since those whom He was speaking to wouldn't be alive when the next Manifestation comes, He wouldn't need to give 990 years as the figure (if the years started in October 1852).
I don't know of any passages in which Baha'u'llah gives signs of His nature, or indications of the date or location where He will appear, or anything to aid in recognizing Him. The only thing I know for sure is that He will come in not less than a thousand years. Maybe there is more in untranslated Tablets.
Would the masculine pronouns in the passage cited in WOB p. 117 conclusively seal the case for the gender of the next Prophet being male, or could masculine pronouns have conceivably been used without meaning to specify gender?
Regards, David
_________________________________________________________________ Gaming galore at http://xtramsn.co.nz/gaming !
---------- You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://list.jccc.net/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=bahai-st news://list.jccc.net/bahai-st http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist (public) http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] (public)
