"And the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months" - that is to say, the Gentiles shall govern and control Jerusalem forty and two months, signifying twelve hundred and sixty days; and as each day signifies a year, by this reckoning it becomes twelve hundred and sixty years, which is the duration of the cycle of the Qur'an. For in the texts of the Holy Book, each day is a year; as it is said in the fourth chapter of Ezekiel, verse 6: "Thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year."
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Some Answered Questions, Page: 46)
Okay, so 42 months is 1260 years, as each day is a year. What ‘Abdu’l-Baha goes on to say is interesting:
"And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves."(2)
As it was before explained, in the terminology of the Holy Books three days and a half signify three years and a half, and three years and a half are forty and two months, and forty and two months twelve hundred and sixty days; and as each day by the text of the Holy Book signifies one year, the meaning is that for twelve hundred and sixty years, which is the cycle of the Qur'an, the nations, tribes and peoples would look at their bodies…”
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Some Answered Questions, Page: 52)
If I didn’t know any better I would have said that ‘Abdu’l-Baha was “cheating” in order to make 3.5 days into 1260 years. Perhaps I’m missing something, as the logic here is difficult to follow. The difference between the computation here is that ‘Abdu’l-Baha has done the process TWICE in order to make 1260 years once again. To make 1260 years from 42 months ‘Abdu’l-Baha simply finds the days in that time and then makes them into years. To make 1260 years from 3.5 days ‘Abdu’l-Baha makes it into years, then figures out the days in those 3.5 years, and then makes those days into years. Were we to do the same for the 42 months, we would do this:
42 months = 1260 days
1260 days = 1260 years
each day signifies a year, therefore 42 months is found out by finding out how many days are in 1260 years, and then making that total into years. So 1260 x 360 = 453,600 years.
I will represent ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s computation for the 3.5 days below so you can show me if there is any difference.
3.5 days = 3.5 years, since each day signifies a year In 3.5 years there are 1260 days each day signifies a year, so 1260 days = 1260 years
It would seem ‘Abdu’l-Baha should have stopped after saying “As it was before explained, in the terminology of the Holy Books three days and a half signify three years and a half.” If 1260 days makes 1260 years, why shouldn’t 3.5 days make 3.5 years? From reading the passages together ‘Abdu’l-Baha appears to be contradicting Himself. I don’t see by what logic the time periods can be the same.
"And after three days and a half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them that saw them."(1) Three days and a half, as we before explained, is twelve hundred and sixty years.
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Some Answered Questions, Page: 54)
Then after three days and a half, which by the terminology of the Holy Books is twelve hundred and sixty years, these divine teachings, heavenly virtues, perfections and spiritual bounties were again renewed by the appearance of the Bab and the devotion of Jinab-i-Quddus.
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Some Answered Questions, Page: 54)
Here again ‘Abdu’l-Baha says that 3.5 days is 1260 years, according to the terminology of the Holy Books.
Regards,
David
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