The Book of Revelation which for centuries has been a closed book is now open to all mankind. God's promises to mankind are being fulfilled.
The call of the Kingdom has been sounded, and the annunciation of the world's need for Universal Peace has enlightened the world's conscience.Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 37
Baha'u'llah, fifty years ago, (before 1892) expounded this question of universal peace at a time when He was confined in the fortress of 'Akka and was wronged and imprisoned. He wrote about this important matter of universal peace to all the great sovereigns of the world, and established it among His friends in the orient. The horizon of the east was in utter darkness, nations displayed the utmost hatred and enmity towards each other, religions thirsted for each other's blood, and it was darkness upon darkness. At such a time Baha'u'llah shone forth like the sun from the horizon of the east and illumined Persia with the lights of these teachings.Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p.306
That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race. The Great Being saith: Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth. In another passage He hath proclaimed: It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p.166
"Behold how its light is now dawning upon the world's darkened horizon. The first candle is unity in the political realm, the early glimmerings of which can now be discerned.
The second candle is unity of thought in world undertakings, the consummation of which will ere long be witnessed.
The third candle is unity in freedom which will surely come to pass.
The fourth candle is unity in religion which is the corner-stone of the foundation itself, and which, by the power of God, will be revealed in all its splendor.
The fifth candle is the unity of nations -- a unity which in this century will be securely established, causing all the peoples of the world to regard themselves as citizens of one common fatherland.
The sixth candle is unity of races, making of all that dwell on earth peoples and kindreds of one race.
The seventh candle is unity of language, i.e., the choice of a universal tongue in which all peoples will be instructed and converse.
Each and every one of these will inevitably come to pass, inasmuch as the power of the Kingdom of God will aid and assist in their realization."Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha p. 32
It is not reasonable that man should hold to the old tree, claiming that its life forces are undiminished, its fruit unequalled, its existence eternal. The seed of reality must be sown again in human hearts in order that a new tree may grow therefrom and new divine fruits refresh the world.'Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p.226
The AFTERWORD discusses What Life Will Be Like for the Next Thousand Years.
[1] And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
V.1 He showed John fresh new and pure spiritual teachings, pure as crystal, the untarnished teachings proceeding from the throne of the Bab and Baha'u'llah.
Say: We have caused the rivers of Divine utterance to proceed out of Our throne, that the tender herbs of wisdom and understanding may spring forth from the soil of your hearts. Will ye not be thankful?Baha'u'llah, XVIII Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah
[2] In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
V.2
On His right side floweth the river of grace and on His left side the sweet wine of justice; before Him go the angels of paradise with the standards of Signs. Beware lest names withhold thee from God the Creator of the earth and heaven;Baha'u'llah, Baha'i Scriptures, p. 98
The most glorious fruit of the tree of knowledge is this exalted word: Of one tree are all ye the fruit, and of one bough the leaves. Let not man glory in this that he loveth his country, let him rather glory in this that he loveth his kind.Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p.127
Baha'is often list as twelve principles, some of the guidance that Baha'u'llah has given us that will lead to a government and economic system. People by following His teachings will eventually heal the nations.
The independent search after truth, unfettered by superstition or tradition;
The oneness of the entire human race, the pivotal principle and fundamental doctrine of the Faith;
The basic unity of all religions;
The condemnation of all forms of prejudice, whether religious, racial, class or national;
The harmony which must exist between religion and science;
The equality of men and women, the two wings on which the bird of human kind is able to soar;
The introduction of compulsory education;
The adoption of a universal auxiliary language;
The abolition of the extremes of wealth and poverty;
The institution of a world tribunal for the adjudication of disputes between nations;
The exaltation of work, performed in the spirit of service, to the rank of worship;
The glorification of justice as the ruling principle in human society;
Religion as a bulwark for the protection of all peoples and nations,
The establishment of a permanent and universal peace as the supreme goal of all mankind.Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 281
That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race. The Great Being saith: Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth. In another passage He hath proclaimed: It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p.166
[3] And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
V.3 Gradually the Baha'i Faith will be accepted. The Baha'i administrative center has been created on Mount Carmel in Haifa Israel, as promised in the holy books.
We have abolished the law to wage holy war against each other. God's mercy hath, verily, encompassed all created things, if ye do but understand."Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 25
"O people of Baha! Ye have been and are the dawnings of affection and the daysprings of divine grace: defile not the tongue with cursing or execration of anyone, and guard the eye from that which is not seemly.Abdu'l-Baha, A Traveller's Narrative p.84
Praise be to God! the mediaeval ages of darkness have passed away and this century of radiance has dawned, -- this century wherein the reality of things is becoming evident, -- wherein science is penetrating the mysteries of the universe, the oneness of the world of humanity is being established and service to mankind is the paramount motive of all existence.'Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith p. 279
[4] And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
V.4 They shall see His face, (understand His Mission) and be completely devoted. The name 'Baha'u'llah' means "the Glory of God", which will be on the lips, and in the minds, of the people staunch in their service to God.
These are they who are blessed by the Concourse on high, who are glorified by the denizens of the everlasting Cities, and beyond them by those on whose foreheads Thy most exalted pen hath written: "These! The people of Baha. Through them have been shed the splendors of the light of guidance." Thus hath it been ordained, at Thy behest and by Thy will, in the Tablet of Thine irrevocable decree.Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 83
Every forehead which is illuminated with these lights will be a lamp of guidance and a star whereby all horizons will be lighted.'Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Baha v1, p. 106
John's saying that His Name will be in their foreheads does not mean that anything will be physically visible there anymore than were the sayings about the 'mark of the beast' being there for others.
[5] And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
V.5
In the spiritual realm of intelligence and idealism there must be a center of illumination, and that center is the everlasting, ever-shining Sun, the Word of God. Its lights are the lights of reality which have shone upon humanity, illumining the realm of thought and morals, conferring the bounties of the divine world upon man.'Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith, p. 254
Some people still have old dogmatic ideas about the New Jerusalem that John says in Rev.3:12 and 21:2 will come down from heaven. Many envision an entire physical city descending from the skies.
There are many other things that are said about it, about which they have equally strange imaginings, such as here where it says there shall be no darkness. This does not mean that there will be no daytime and nighttime but rather that the darkness of life will be gone.
[6] And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
V.6 This is seventh and last Angel of the Sixth and Last Thread. The Seventh Angel is the Islamic Angel that has been showing the meaning of the last many verses, the explanation of which was started by the Sixth Angel, the Christian Angel, from a Christian perspective beginning in 21:9.
There is also an Islamic perspective on these same previous verses, and that perspective regarding the measurement of the walls (21:15-17) of New Jerusalem harks back to Rev. 11:1 and the Seventh Angel in Rev.11-15.
For an understanding of this one MUST understand The Most Clear Proof which is based on those verses.
Thus hath His bounty been sent down unto men, His testimony fulfilled, and His proof shone forth above the Horizon of mercy. Rich is the prize that shall be won by him who hath believed and exclaimed: "Lauded art Thou, O Beloved of all worlds! Magnified be Thy name, O Thou the Desire of every understanding heart!"Baha'u'llah, XIV Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah
[7] Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
V.7 The events of The Book of Revelation will happen suddenly and in a brief time. Greater changes have happened in the last century since the Bab than in all centuries before.
[8] And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
V.8 John was overwhelmed, and fell down before the angel to worship him, for showing him these warnings.
O kings of the earth! He Who is the sovereign Lord of all is come. The Kingdom is God's, the omnipotent Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Worship none but God, and, with radiant hearts, lift up your faces unto your Lord, the Lord of all names. This is a Revelation to which whatever ye possess can never be compared, could ye but know it.Baha'u'llah, Kitab-i-Aqdas: Verse 78
[9] Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
V.9 John was about to worship the angel but the angel said 'No, do it not' as he was a fellow servant just as John was. He was told by the angel to worship God instead.
Magnified be Thy name, O Lord my God! Thou art He Whom all things worship and Who worshipeth no one, Who is the Lord of all things and is the vassal of none, Who knoweth all things and is known of none. Thou didst wish to make Thyself known unto men; therefore, Thou didst, through a word of Thy mouth, bring creation into being and fashion the universe. There is none other God except Thee, the Fashioner, the Creator, the Almighty, the Most Powerful.Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 6
[10] And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
V.10 The Book of Revelation and the Book of Daniel, and other Scriptures that were previously 'sealed' are no longer sealed because the time of fulfillment has come. It was impossible to understand them before, but the world has changed and they are now understandable even as you are reading them here.
Baha'u'llah unsealed the holy books and revealed laws through which mankind can attain to a high state of spiritual civilization. These new laws will go into effect after the great readjustment, when wars, cataclysms, famine, labor troubles, etc., have done their work of equalization!'Abdu'l-Baha, Divine Philosophy, p. 7
[11] He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
V.11 People will continue have to have free will. If we choose to be unjust or filthy, God still gives us the freedom to choose what we want in life, so there will still be those who choose their own beliefs, but society will be organized in a much more just manner according to the Laws of God.
Man is not a pre-existent being, but a newly produced and created being, consisting of two aspects or portions, the spiritual and material, which may be likened to hell and paradise; and he does not know whether he will be in hell or paradise. For instance, man is composed of evil as well as good, of darkness as well as light, of guidance as well as misleading; the most evil character is to be found in man, while the greatest and most excellent character is also found in him. We must see that the good qualities gain victory over the bad. If so, the man will become an "angel," but if the bad qualities conquer the good ones, then he will become a "devil." If the light conquers the darkness in man, of course he will be true light, and if the darkness conquers the light, he will be of the material.'Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i Scriptures, No. 960, p. 499
[12] And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
V.12
"When the Day that must come shall have come suddenly... Day that shall abase! Day that shall exalt!..." and thus was the new Dispensation announced and the great Resurrection made manifest. At the start, those who were present fled away, and some forsook their Faith, while some fell a prey to suspicion and doubt, and a number, after wavering, returned to the presence of Baha'u'llah.'Abdu'l-Baha, Memorials of the Faithful, p. 202
[13] I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
V.13 At the outset in Chapter One of the Book of Revelation Jesus said:
Rev.1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
and here again in this verse He repeats that, "I am the Alpha and Omega".
He is the One that is the same today, tomorrow and always. The one that before Abraham was, I AM. He has now appeared in His new garb and those who fail to recognize Him now would have failed to recognize Him then. Those who reject Baha'u'llah, reject Jesus.
He hath wiped away their tears, kindled their light, rejoiced their hearts and enraptured their souls. Death shall no more overtake them, neither shall sorrow, crying and tribulation afflict them. The Lord God Omnipotent hath been enthroned in His Kingdom and hath made all things new. This is the truth, and what truth greater than the Revelation of St. John the divine? He is the Alpha and Omega. He is the One that will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life, and bestow upon the sick the remedy of true salvation.'Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith, p.350
[14] Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
V.14
Say: It behoveth you, O Ministers of State, to keep the precepts of God, and to forsake your own laws and regulations, and to be of them who are guided aright. Better is this for you than all ye possess, did ye but know it. If ye transgress the commandment of God, not one jot or one tittle of all your works shall be acceptable in His sight. Ye shall, erelong, discover the consequences of that which ye shall have done in this vain life, and shall be repaid for them. This, verily, is the truth, the undoubted truth.Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 196
Say: O people! The Tree of Life hath verily been planted in the heart of the heavenly paradise and bestoweth life in every direction. How can ye fail to perceive and recognize it? It will in truth aid thee to grasp all that this well-assured Soul hath disclosed unto thee of the essence of the divine mysteries.Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries: Verse 71
[15] For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
V.15 Those who oppose the faith, he has compared to dogs, sorcerers, those who have killed the Prophets in the past, and have lied.
Say: Never will the barking of dogs deter the Nightingale from warbling its melodies. Ponder awhile that perchance ye may discover a path leading to the Eternal Truth.Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 156,
In like manner, thou beholdest in this day that although spiritual sustenance hath descended from the heaven of divine mercy, and been showered from the clouds of His loving kindness, and although the seas of life, at the behest of the Lord of all being, are surging within the Ridvan of the heart, yet these people, ravenous as the dogs, have gathered around carrion, and contented themselves with the stagnant waters of a briny lake. Gracious God! how strange the way of this people! They clamour for guidance, although the standards of Him Who guideth all things are already hoisted. They cleave to the obscure intricacies of knowledge, when He, Who is the Object of all knowledge, shineth as the sun.Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 208
[16] I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
V.16 Jesus sent His angel, to tell John to write His testimony that they may hear the words of this prophecy, as time is at hand. (Rev 1: 1-3) He is the root and offspring of David. The Bab is also known as the Morning Star (see Rev.2:28). Both Jesus and the Bab had similar lives.
He the Revealer of the unseen Beauty (Jesus), addressing one day His disciples, referred unto His passing, and, kindling in their hearts the fire of bereavement, said unto them: "I go away and come again unto you." And in another place He said: "I go and another will come Who will tell you all that I have not told you, and will fulfil all that I have said." Both these sayings have but one meaning, were you to ponder upon the Manifestations of the Unity of God with divine insight.Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 20
In Isaiah, chapter 11, verses 1 to 10, it is said: "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."
But "they shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." These conditions did not prevail in the time of the manifestation of Christ; for until today various and antagonistic nations exist in the world: very few acknowledge the God of Israel, and the greater number are without the knowledge of God. In the same way, universal peace did not come into existence in the time of Christ -- that is to say, between the antagonistic and hostile nations there was neither peace nor concord, disputes and disagreements did not cease, and reconciliation and sincerity did not appear. So, even at this day, among the Christian sects and nations themselves, enmity, hatred and the most violent hostility are met with.
But these verses apply word for word to Bahá'u'lláh. Likewise in this marvelous cycle the earth will be transformed, and the world of humanity arrayed in tranquillity and beauty. Disputes, quarrels and murders will be replaced by peace, truth and concord; among the nations, peoples, races and countries, love and amity will appear. Cooperation and union will be established, and finally war 64 will be entirely suppressed. When the laws of the Most Holy Book are enforced, contentions and disputes will find a final sentence of absolute justice before a general tribunal of the nations and kingdoms, and the difficulties that appear will be solved. The five continents of the world will form but one, the numerous nations will become one, the surface of the earth will become one land, and mankind will be a single community. The relations between the countries -- the mingling, union and friendship of the peoples and communities -- will reach to such a degree that the human race will be like one family and kindred. The light of heavenly love will shine, and the darkness of enmity and hatred will be dispelled from the world. Universal peace will raise its tent in the center of the earth, and the blessed Tree of Life will grow and spread to such an extent that it will overshadow the East and the West. Strong and weak, rich and poor, antagonistic sects and hostile nations -- which are like the wolf and the lamb, the leopard and kid, the lion and the calf -- will act toward each other with the most complete love, friendship, justice and equity. The world will be filled with science, with the knowledge of the reality of the mysteries of beings, and with the knowledge of God.Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 62
That all the Manifestations are One, that Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster, Muhammad, The Bab and Baha'u'llah are all One, with the Father, is probably the hardest new concept to grasp about the Teachings of the New Age.
[17] And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
V.17
O My servants! Could ye apprehend with what wonders of My munificence and bounty I have willed to entrust your souls, ye would, of a truth, rid yourselves of attachment to all created things, and would gain a true knowledge of your own selves -- a knowledge which is the same as the comprehension of Mine own BeingBaha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p.326
[18] For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
V.18 This verse condemns any who defile the purity of the Teachings by contaminating them with worldly ideas. It specifically protected the verses of the Book of Revelation itself so that we would have it as it was given for this time.
Can a man who believeth in a book, and deemeth it to be inspired by God, mutilate it? ...Nay, rather, by corruption of the text is meant that in which all Muslim divines are engaged today, that is the interpretation of God's holy Book in accordance with their idle imaginings and vain desires. ...Likewise, it is clear, how in this day, the people of the Qur'an have perverted the text of God's holy Book, concerning the signs of the expected Manifestation, and interpreted it according to their inclination and desires.Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 86
Whoso interpreteth what hath been sent down from the heaven of Revelation, and altereth its evident meaning, he, verily, is of them that have perverted the Sublime Word of God, and is of the lost ones in the Lucid Book.Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p.129
[19] And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
V.19
582. Finally during the cycle of the Blessed Perfection -- may my life be a sacrifice to His believers! -- all are beneath His shadow. He is the unique and peerless One until the next Manifestation. It is not definite, however, that this will be 1000 years; it may be 2000 or 10,000 or 20,000 years; but it is definite that for the coming 1000 years that shall appear no Manifestation -- for 1000 years there shall arise no Sun. All the appearances will be beneath the shadow of the Most Great Appearance: they will be as stars of guidance. All of them shall gather around this Fountain of Life; all of them will become illumined with the rays of this Sun; all of them will receive a share and a portion from this great Sea; all of them will become vivified with this soul-imparting breeze; all will be under the downpour of this rain. The aim is this: His Holiness the Báb gave the glad tidings concerning the appearance of the Manifestation of God, and His Holiness, the Blessed Perfection, was the Promised One of all the nations and religions. The Báb was the Morning Star heralding the glorious Dawn of the Sun of Reality. Now all of us are under Its shadow and receive the refulgent bestowals from It.
583. I am Abdul Baha, and no more. I am not pleased with whosoever praises me with any other title. I am the Servant at the Threshold of the Blessed Perfection, and I hope that this Servitude of mine will become acceptable. Whosoever mentions any other name save this will not please me at all. Abdul Baha, and no more. No person must praise me except by this name: "Abdul Baha."Compilations, Baha'i Scriptures, p. 283
[20] He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
V.20
Rejoice, then, O ye beloved of the Lord and His chosen ones, and ye the children of God and His people, raise your voice and laud and magnify the Lord, the Most High; for His light hath beamed forth, His signs have appeared, and the billows of His rising ocean have scattered on every shore many a precious pearl.'Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith p.350
Thus hath His ordinance been sent down from the Kingdom of Him Who is the Most Exalted, the All-Wise.Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah p. 278
[21] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
V.21
The blessing of the Eternal One be with you in all its richness, that each soul according to his measure may take freely of Him. Amen.Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London p. 20
Were man to appreciate the greatness of his station and the loftiness of his destiny he would manifest naught save goodly character, pure deeds, and a seemly and praiseworthy conduct. If the learned and wise men of goodwill were to impart guidance unto the people, the whole earth would be regarded as one country. Verily this is the undoubted truth. This servant appealeth to every diligent and enterprising soul to exert his utmost endeavour and arise to rehabilitate the conditions in all regions and to quicken the dead with the living waters of wisdom and utterance, by virtue of the love he cherisheth for God, the One, the Peerless, the Almighty, the Beneficent.Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p.172
All people are loved equally by God, their colour does not make a difference, nor does nationality. Baha'u'llah explains that each soul is unique that our goals, talents and abilities differ. Education is necessary for development, as it is important to progress, not to blindly follow others. Consultation is important ‘with compassion’, to find direction for our goals as it is important to engage in useful occupations. Baha'is come from many backgrounds, all diverse from each other, with different clothing, food etc. We must appreciate this diversity of traditions and cultures, as we are all members of the same family. There are many other virtues, such as service, good deeds, etc. The spiritual teachings are in all of the writings of all religions, but may be expressed differently. Truthfulness is the foundation of all the virtues, without this attribute, no divine quality can be realized. Baha'u'llah asks us to always be courteous, "a raiment which fitteth all men whether young or old". We are told not to think about faults of others. Baha'u'llah says in Hidden Words; .
O SON OF MAN! Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art thyself a sinner. Shouldst thou transgress this command, accursed wouldst thou be, and to this I bear witness.Baha'u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words No. 27
"It is enjoined upon every one of you to engage in some form of occupation, such as crafts, trades and the like, We have graciously exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship unto God, the True One. Ponder ye in your hearts the grace and the blessings of God and render thanks unto Him at eventide and at dawn. Waste not your time in idleness and sloth. Occupy yourselves with that which profiteth yourselves and others. Thus hath it been decreed in this Tablet from whose horizon the day-star of wisdom and utterance shineth resplendent.Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p.26
Baha'u'llah’s son 'Abdu'l-Baha known as 'The Branch' was given the station of 'The Center of the Covenant', in which He further advanced the Cause by explaining many of the concepts of Baha'u'llah. Shoghi Effendi, grandson of 'Abdu'l-Baha, in his unique writing style, describes the Faith in its growth, and gives speculation for the future.
The Baha'i World Commonwealth of the future, of which a vast Administrative Order is the sole framework, is both in theory and practice unique... No less enthralling is the vision of Isaiah (Isaiah 11), the greatest of the Hebrew Prophets, predicting, as far back as twenty five hundred years ago, the destiny which mankind must, at its stage of maturity, achieve: "And He (the Lord) 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 ...And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots... And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins... They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 205
The enormous energy dissipated and wasted on war, whether economic or political, will be consecrated to such ends as will extend the range of human inventions and technical development, to the increase of the productivity of mankind, to the extermination of disease, to the extension of scientific research, to the raising of the standard of physical health, to the sharpening and refinement of the human brain, to the exploitation of the unused and unsuspected resources of the planet, to the prolongation of human life, and to the furtherance of any other agency that can stimulate the intellectual, the moral, and spiritual life of the entire human race.Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 204
This new government will unfold gradually, unity and cooperation being key to development. To such a period Baha'is are working and gaining momentum, especially with the task of building a strong foundation. Great technical advancement has been shown in the world, an affect of the Great Power of this Cause
See how, in this day, the scope of sciences and arts hath widened out, and what wondrous technical advances have been made, and to what a high degree the mind's powers have increased, and what stupendous inventions have appeared.Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 111