Messianic Prophecies


Each of the world's major religions contain Messianic prophecies. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Zoroastrian religion and even the Native American religions all foretell the coming of a Promised One. Each of the Founders of these great religions either promised to personally return himself, to send another like himself or in some instances.... the Founder promised to do both.
Christians await the return of Christ and the coming of "another comforter."
The Jewish scriptures foretell the coming of "another Prophet" like Moses and the return of Elijah from heaven.
Many Moslems await the appearance of Mahdi and Meseeh.
Krishna promised to personally return from age to age.
Buddha said that he was not the first Buddha ever to appear and that another "supremely enlightened" Buddha was still yet to come.
Zoroastrian prophecies foretell the coming of a "World-renovator."
Native American prophecies foretell the coming of a bearded white man from the east who will bring teachings which will restore the hoop of unity.
Each religion, in its own way, has foretold the coming of a great 'religion restoring', 'world uniting', 'peace bringing' Messiah.

For centuries, people from all over the world have been hoping and praying that they will be the generation which will witness the appearance of their Promised One.
Not many have considered the possibility that these prophecies from the various religions might actually all be foretelling the exact same event.

Members of the Baha'i Faith believe that in the middle of the last century these prophecies actually were fulfilled and that the Promised One truly did appear.

Baha'u'llah, the Prophet founder of the Baha'i Faith, claims to be the Promised One whose
coming was explicitly foretold, not only in the Old and the New Testaments.... but also in the prophecies of the Hindu, Buddhist, Zoroastrian, Islamic and other religions.

If Baha'u'llah truly is the Promised One
then His appearance is one of the greatest events of human history.
Are Baha'u'llah's claim true?
How can we know for certain?
Just take a look at some of the proofs and prophecies... and then decide for yourself.

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JEWISH"The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me... You must listen to him."
--- MOSES- Deuteronomy 18:15 (NIV)
"I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man. He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away. And his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed." --- Judaism- Daniel 7.13-14
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CHRISTIAN"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken; then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; and he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."--- Matthew 24.29-31

"If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter... he shall teach you all things." --- JESUS- John 14

"Him that overcometh... I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the... new Jerusalem... and I will write upon him my new name." --- JESUS- Revelation 3

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HINDU"Whenever there is decay of righteousness... and there is exaltation of unrighteousness, then I Myself come forth... for the destruction of evil-doers, for the sake of firmly establishing righteousness, I am born from age to age." --- KRISHNA- Bhagavad Gita- fourth discourse


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ISLAMIC "And we gave Moses the Book, and after him sent succeeding Messengers: and We gave Jesus...the clear signs... and whensoever there came to you a Messenger with that your souls had not desire for, did you become arrogant, and some cry lies to, and some slay."

--- Muhammad- Quran 2 (the Cow) "By those sent forth one after the other... Verily that which ye are promised is about to happen. So when the stars are blotted out, And when the sky is rent asunder... when the Messengers have a time set: For what Day is this being arranged? For the Day of Severance." --- Muhammad- Quran 77

"The Apostle of Allah said, 'Were there remaining but one day of the duration of all time, God would send forth a man from the people of my house, who will fill the earth with equity as it has been filled with oppression.'"--- Islam- Hadith of Abu Dawud

"And [Jesus] shall be a Sign of the Hour [of Judgment]; therefore have no doubt about it, but follow Me: this is a straight way." --- Muhammad- Qur'an 43.61

"The Imam who will create a world state will make the ruling nations pay for their crimes against society. He will bring succor to humanity. He will take out the hidden wealth from the breast of the earth and will distribute it equitably amongst the needy deserving. He will teach you simple living and high thinking. He will make you understand that virtue is a state of character which is always a mean between the two extremes, and which is based upon equity and justice. He will revive the teaching of the Holy Qur'an and the traditions of the Holy Prophet after the world has ignored them as dead letters.... He will protect and defend himself with resources of science and supreme knowledge. His control over these resources will be complete. He will know how supreme they are and how carefully they will have to be used. His mind will be free from desires of bringing harm and injury to humanity. Such a knowledge to him will be like the property which was wrongly possessed by others and for which he was waiting for the permission to repossess and use. He, in the beginning, will be like a poor stranger unknown and uncared for, and Islam then will be in the hopeless and helpless plight of an exhausted camel who has laid down its head and is wagging its tail. With such a start he will establish an empire of God in this world. He will be the final demonstration and proof of God's merciful wish to acquaint man with the right ways of life." --- Islam (Shiite)- Nahjul Balagha, Khutba 141, 187

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BUDDHIST"I am not the first Buddha who came upon earth, nor shall I be the last. In due time another Buddha will arise in the world, a Holy One... He will reveal to you the same eternal truths which I have taught you... He will proclaim a religious life, wholly perfect and pure; such as I now proclaim." ---BUDDHA- The Gospel of Buddha "

...the venerable Sariputta questioned the Lord about the future Conqueror, The Hero that shall follow you, The Buddha--of what sort will he be? I want to hear of him in full. Let the Visioned One describe him. When he heard the elder's speech the Lord spoke thus, I will tell you, Sariputta; listen to my speech. In this auspicious aeon Three leaders there have been: Kakusandha, Konagamana, and the leader Kassapa too. I am now the perfect Buddha; and there will be Maitreya too before this same auspicious aeon runs to the end of its years." ---Buddhism- Anagata-vamsa

"In those days, brethren, there will arise in the world an Exalted One named Metteya. He will be an Arahant, Fully Awakened, abounding in wisdom and goodness, happy, with knowledge of the worlds, unsurpassed as a guide to mortals willing to be led, a teacher for gods and men, an Exalted One, a Buddha, even as I am now... The Law, lovely in its origin, lovely in its progress, lovely in its consummation, will he proclaim, both in the spirit and in the letter; the higher life will he make known, in all its fullness and in all its purity, even as I do now. He will be accompanied by a congregation of some thousands of brethren, even as I am now accompanied by a congregation of some hundreds of brethren."--- BUDDHA- Digha Nikaya iii.76, Chakkavatti Sihanada Suttanta

"Listen attentively with one heart. A man whose spirit shines brightly, a man whose mind is completely unified, a man whose virtue excels everyone--such a man will truly appear in this world. When he preaches precious laws, all the people will totally be satisfied as if the thirsty drink sweet drops of rain from heaven. And each and every one will attain the path of liberation from struggles." --- Buddhism- Sutra of the Great Accomplishment of the Maitreya

ZOROASTRIAN"He shall be the victorious Benefactor (Saoshyant) by name and World-renovator [Astavat-ereta] by name. He is Benefactor because he will benefit the entire physical world; he is World- renovator because he will establish the physical living existence indestructible. He will oppose the evil of the progeny of the biped and withstand the enmity produced by the faithful." --- Zoroastrianism- Avesta, Farvardin Yast 13.129

"When a thousand two hundred and some years have passed from the inception of the religion of the Arabian (Muhammad) and the overthrow of the kingdom of Iran and the degradation of the followers of My religion, a descendant of the Iranian kings (Baha'u'llah) will be raised up as a Prophet." --- ZOROASTER- Dinkird

HINDU"When the practices taught by the Vedas and the institutes of law shall nearly have ceased, and the close of the Kali age shall be nigh, a portion of that divine being who exists of his own spiritual nature in the character of Brahma, and who is the beginning and the end, and who comprehends all things, shall descend upon the earth. He will be born as Kalki in the family of an eminent brahmin of Sambhala village, endowed with the eight superhuman faculties. By his irresistible might he will destroy all the barbarians and thieves, and all whose minds are devoted to iniquity. He will then re-establish righteousness upon earth; and the minds of those who live at the end of the Kali age shall be awakened, and shall be as pellucid as crystal. The men who are thus changed by virtue of that peculiar time shall be as the seeds of human beings, and shall give birth to a race who shall follow the laws of the Krita age, the Age of Purity." --- Hinduism- Vishnu Purana 4.24

Babi"I am one of the sustaining Pillars of the Primal Word of God. Whosoever hath recognized Me... hath attained all that is good and seemly." "Well is it with him who fixeth his gaze upon the Order of Baha'u'llah, and rendereth thanks unto his Lord. For he will assuredly be made manifest. God hath indeed irrevocably ordained it..." --- THE BAB- Tablet to the Shah, God Passes By, p.25

BAHA'I"The time fore-ordained unto the people and kindreds of the earth is now come. The promises of God as recorded in the holy Scriptures, have all been fulfilled..." "The Revelation which, from time immemorial hath been acclaimed as the Purpose and Promise of all the prophets of God, and the most cherished Desire of His Messengers, hath now, by virtue of the pervasive Will of the Almighty and at His irresistible bidding, been revealed unto men. The advent of such a Revelation hath been heralded in all the sacred Scriptures. Behold how, notwithstanding such an announcement, mankind hath strayed from its path and shut out itself from its glory..."

"Verily I say, this is the day in which mankind can behold the Face and hear the Voice of the Promised One. The call of God hath been raised, and the light of His countenance hath been lifted up upon men. It behooveth every man to blot out the trace of every idle word from the tablet of his heart, and to gaze, with an open and unbiased mind, on the signs of His Revelation, the proofs of His Mission, and the tokens of His Glory." --- BAHA'U'LLAH- Baha'i World Faith, p.9-11

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This is only a brief sample of the Messianic prophecies which can be found in the scriptures of the world's great religions. Please continue to the following sections to learn more about the proofs supporting Baha'u'llah's claim to be this Promised One.

Prophecies Fulfilled from the Old TestamentBook of Daniel

"All the peoples of the world are awaiting two Manifestations, Who must be contemporaneous; all wait for the fulfillment of this promise. In the Bible the Jews have the promise of the Lord of Hosts and the Messiah; in the Gospel the return of Christ and Elijah is promised. In the religion of Muhammad there is the promise of the Mihdi and the Messiah, and it is the same with the Zoroastrian and the other religions......The essential fact is that all are promised two Manifestations, Who will come, one following on the other. It has been prophesied that in the time of these two Manifestations the earth will be transformed, the world of existence will be renewed, and beings will be clothed in new garments. Justice and truth will encompass the world; enmity and hatred will disappear; all causes of division among peoples, races and nations will vanish; and the cause of union, harmony and concord will appear. The negligent will awake, the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dumb will speak, the sick will be cured, the dead will arise. War will give place to peace, enmity will be conquered by love, the causes of dispute and wrangling will be entirely removed, and true felicity will be attained. The world will become the mirror of the Heavenly Kingdom; humanity will be the Throne of Divinity. All nations will become one; all religions will be unified; all individual men will become of one family and of one kindred. All the regions of the earth will become one; the superstitions caused by races, countries, individuals, languages and politics will disappear; and all men will attain to life eternal, under the shadow of the Lord of Hosts. Now we must prove from the Holy Books that these two Manifestations have come, and we must divine the meaning of the words of the Prophets, for we wish for proofs drawn from the Holy Books. A few days ago, at table, we put forth rational proofs establishing the truth of these two Manifestations. To conclude: in the Book of Daniel, from the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the martyrdom of Christ, seventy weeks are appointed for by the martyrdom of Christ the sacrifice is accomplished and the altar destroyed. This is a prophecy of the manifestation of Christ. These seventy weeks begin with the restoration and the rebuilding of Jerusalem, concerning which four edicts were issued by three kings. The first was issued by Cyrus in the year 536 B.C.; this is recorded in the first chapter of the Book of Ezra. The second edict, with reference to the rebuilding of Jerusalem, is that of Darius of Persia in the year 519 B.C.; this is recorded in the sixth chapter of Ezra. The third is that of Artaxerxes in the seventh year of his reign - that is, in 457 B.C.; this is recorded in the seventh chapter of Ezra. The fourth is that of Artaxerxes in the year 444 B.C.; this is recorded in the second chapter of Nehemiah. But Daniel refers especially to the third edict which was issued in the year 457 B.C. Seventy weeks make four hundred and ninety days. Each day, according to the text of the Holy Book, is a year. For in the Bible it is said: "The day of the Lord is one year." Therefore, four hundred and ninety days are four hundred and ninety years. The third edict of Artaxerxes was issued four hundred and fifty-seven years before the birth of Christ, and Christ when He was martyred and ascended was thirty-three years of age. When you add thirty-three to four hundred and fifty-seven, the result is four hundred and ninety, which is the time announced by Daniel for the manifestation of Christ. But in the twenty-fifth verse of the ninth chapter of the Book of Daniel this is expressed in another manner, as seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; and apparently this differs from the first saying. Many have remained perplexed at these differences, trying to reconcile these two statements. How can seventy weeks be right in one place, and sixty-two weeks and seven weeks in another? These two sayings do not accord. But Daniel mentions two dates. One of these dates begins with the command of Artaxerxes to Ezra to rebuild Jerusalem: this is the seventy weeks which came to an end with the ascension of Christ, when by His martyrdom the sacrifice and oblation ceased. The second period, which is found in the twenty-sixth verse, means that after the termination of the rebuilding of Jerusalem until the ascension of Christ, there will be sixty-two weeks: the seven weeks are the duration of the rebuilding of Jerusalem, which took forty-nine years. When you add these seven weeks to the sixty-two weeks, it makes sixty-nine weeks, and in the last week (69-70) the ascension of Christ took place. These seventy weeks are thus completed, and there is no contradiction. Now that the manifestation of Christ has been proved by the prophecies of Daniel, let us prove the manifestations of Baha'u'llah and of the Bab. Up to the present we have only mentioned rational proofs; now we shall speak of traditional proofs. In the eighth chapter of the Book of Daniel, verse thirteen, it is said: "Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation [the abomination of desolation], to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?" Then he answered (verse 14): "Unto two thousand and three hundred days ; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed"; (verse 17) "But he said unto me ... at the time of the end shall be the vision." That is to say, how long will this misfortune, this ruin, this abasement and degradation last? meaning, when will be the dawn of the Manifestation? Then he answered, "Two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Briefly, the purport of this passage is that he appoints two thousand three hundred years, for in the text of the Bible each day is a year. Then from the date of the issuing of the edict of Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem until the day of the birth of Christ there are 456 years, and from the birth of Christ until the day of the manifestation of the Bab there are 1844 years. When you add 456 years to this number it makes 2300 years. That is to say, the fulfillment of the vision of Daniel took place in the year A.D. 1844, and this is the year of the Bab's manifestation according to the actual text of the Book of Daniel. Consider how clearly he determines the year of manifestation; there could be no clearer prophecy for a manifestation than this. In Matthew, chapter 24, verse 3, Christ clearly says that what Daniel meant by this prophecy was the date of the manifestation, and this is the verse: "As He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming [Greek: PAROUSIA- the return of the Presence of God], and of the end of the world?" One of the explanations He gave them in reply was this (v. 15): "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand)." In this answer He referred them to the eighth chapter of the Book of Daniel, saying that everyone who reads it will understand that it is this time that is spoken of. Consider how clearly the manifestation of the Bab is spoken of in the Old Testament and in the Gospel. To conclude, let us now explain the date of the manifestation of Baha'u'llah from the Bible... ...The date of Baha'u'llah is calculated according to lunar years from the mission and the Hejira of Muhammad; for in the religion of Muhammad the lunar year is in use, as also it is the lunar year which is employed concerning all commands of worship. In Daniel, chapter 12, verse 6, it is said: "And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by Him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and that when He shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished." As I have already explained the signification of one day, it is not necessary to explain it further; but we will say briefly that each day of the Father counts as a year, and in each year there are twelve months. Thus three years and a half make forty-two months, and forty-two months are twelve hundred and sixty days. The Bab, the precursor of Baha'u'llah, appeared in the year 1260 from the Hejira of Muhammad, by the reckoning of Islam. Afterward, in verse 11, it is said: "And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolation be set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days . Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days." The beginning of this lunar reckoning is from the day of the proclamation of the prophethood of Muhammad in the country of Hijaz; and that was three years after His mission, because in the beginning the prophethood of Muhammad was kept secret, and no one knew it save Khadijah and Ibn Nawfal. After three years it was announced...
Baha'u'llah, in the year 1290 from the proclamation of the mission of Muhammad, caused His manifestation to be known."

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The scriptures of the world's religions contain many prophecies which indicate the time when the Promised One is due to appear. These prophecies all point to the mid 1800s... they point to the time when the Bab and Baha'u'llah appeared. The following article is a brief summary of some of these number prophecies.

In the Old Testament book of Daniel, chapter 12 verse 11, there is an "Abomination of Desolation" prophecy. This enigmatic prophecy was referred to by Jesus in Matthew 24 as one of the signs of the time of the return of his 'parousia'.
(NOTE: The oldest New Testament texts are written in Greek. In the original Greek text of Matthew 24, Jesus refers to the return of the 'PAROUSIA' (pear' oh zee uh). The Greek word 'parousia' means 'presence'. In other words, Jesus was telling His followers how to know the time of the return of the Divine 'Presence' of God.)
The 'Abomination of Desolation' prophecy found in Daniel is one of the most important keys that allows us to unlock the mystery of the time when the Divine 'Presence of God' will once again appear on earth in human form.
The general theme of the Old Testament book of Daniel revolves around the abominable actions of the Jewish people which led to the conquest of Israel by a succession of foreign, non-Jewish empires. And then, even more specifically, Daniel's 'Abomination of Desolation' prophecy pinpoints the time when this centuries long era of the subjugation of Israel will end when the Divine 'Presence of God' will once again appear on earth... or in other words, Daniel's prophecy pinpoints the time when God will again speak to humanity through His chosen Prophet.
To understand these prophecies, we need to go back to the beginning. The nation of Israel was brought into existence by the great Hebrew Prophet Moses. Moses gave his followers a code of laws and a code of ethics which became the unifying force and the generating impulse which culminated in the birth of the nation of Israel.
In the Old Testament book of Leviticus we find the story of how Moses gave this law to his people. Then, in Leviticus chapter 26, Moses warns that if the Jews fall away from God's laws they will be conquered and scattered among the nations. Moses warned
if you will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments... I will chastise you seven times for your sins... I will make your cities waste... I will scatter you among the heathen.
Moses' 'seven times' prophecy took effect for the first time about 676 BC when the evil Hebrew king Manasseh tried to lead the Jewish people away from the religion of Moses by endorsing local pagan cults. Manasseh allowed these pagan cults to erect altars inside the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem where idols were worshipped, sacrifices were offered to pagan gods and, among other abominations, Manasseh was also said to have allowed ritual prostitution to be practiced inside the Holy Temple.
It wasn't long before Moses' prophecy took effect. The Assyrian Empire swept down from the north, conquered Jerusalem, the Jewish people were scattered among the nations and King Manasseh himself was carried off in chains to Babylon. This was the beginning of the seven times era of subjugation foretold by Moses.
After the Assyrians, Israel was next conquered successively by the Babylonian Empire, the Persian Empire and the Greek Empire. In his book the prophet Daniel refers to these foreign empires as "beasts".
The Apostle John, in the New Testament era, also refers to these same beasts. In chapter 17 of the Book of Revelation John speaks of the beast who 'was', 'is' and the beast who was still 'yet to arise'. The beast who 'was' were the Empires who had conquered Jerusalem before the time that John was writing. The beast who 'is' was the Roman Empire that had arisen after the first four beasts to also conquer Jerusalem. Continuing on, still in this same passage, John next refers to yet another beast who, in John's day, was still 'yet to arise'. Who was this last beast? Ask yourself, who was the only empire to arise after the Romans to conquer and control Jerusalem? There was only one . . . the Islamic Empire which was led for most of it's existence by the Umayyad family and later by the Abbasid family.
The conquest of Jerusalem by these foreign, non-Jewish empires which lasted for more than 2500 years was the 'Abomination of Desolation'... the desolating abomination which was referred to by both Daniel and Jesus.
The key to understanding what these prophecies were foretelling lies in their numbers. For example, in Daniel 8:13 it asks how long will this 'abomination of desolation' process last. Daniel answered that it would last for 2300 days.
Before this '2300 day' prophecy can be understood we first must consider an important principle. In Bible prophecy days can equal years. We find this principle stated in Ezekiel 4 and Numbers 14 where it says I have appointed you each day for a year.
One example of how this 'day for a year' principle works can be found in Daniel 9:24 where Daniel says that 70 weeks are appointed from the date of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem then shall Messiah be cut off.
To understand what this prophecy is saying we first need to calculate how many 'days' there are in '70 weeks'. Do the math. . . 70 weeks times seven days in a week equals 490 days. Considering the statements from Ezekiel and Numbers that days can equal years in prophecy this means that 490 days can actually equal 490 years.
Next, let's check the history. Daniel says that 70 weeks are appointed from the date of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem then shall Messiah be cut off. What was the date of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem?
The decree to rebuild Jerusalem was given by a Persian king named Artaxerxes in 457 BC. So, what was Daniel saying in his '70 week' prophecy? There are 490 days in 70 weeks. If the 490 days of this prophecy actually are 490 years... and if you add 490 years to 457 BC, you get the cutting off of the Messiah somewhere around 33 or 34 AD. This means that Daniel's '70 week' prophecy foretold the death of Jesus the Messiah several hundred years before it actually happened. This also proves that days indeed can equal years in prophecy.
How does this relate to Daniel's 2300 days 'Abomination of Desolation' prophecy? If we consider that the '70 week' prophecy and the '2300 day' prophecy are both found in the same context... we can see that they are just two different stages of the same prophecy. So, if we use the same starting point of 457 BC that we used in the '70 week' prophecy and, if this time we count forward 2300 years. . . we get both the year of the end of the 'Abomination of Desolation' and we get the year of Christ's PAROUSIA-- the return of his presence. Once again, do the math. 457 BC plus 2300 years equals 1844 AD.
The 2300 day/year prophecy indicates the year 1844 AD.
Keeping this in mind, let's take another look at Moses' prophecy found in Leviticus 26. Here Moses warned
if you will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments... I will chastise you seven times for your sins... I will make your cities waste... I will scatter you among the heathen. According to Moses, this 'Abomination' and 'scattering among the Gentiles' time period would last for 'seven times'. Seven times or seven years of 360 days per year equals 2520 days or 2500 years.
Moses' 'seven times' prophecy first took effect in 676 BC when the Assyrians conquered Jerusalem and King Manasseh was taken in chains to Babylon. If we start at 676 BC and count forward 2520 years we get the exact same year foretold in Daniel's 2300 day/year prophecy.Moses' "seven times" prophecy also indicates the year 1844 AD.
Returning to the Book of Revelation again. . . in the 11th, 12th and 13th chapters, we are told seven separate times that the last beast referred to by John will control Jerusalem for 1260 years.
This prophecy is stated as 1260 days. As 3 1/2 years or 3 1/2 times ... both of which equal 1260 days. And its stated as 42 months which also equals 1260 days. There are 1260 days in 42 months and there are 42 months in 3 1/2 years.
In his book, the Jewish Prophet Daniel also refers to the 3 1/2 'times of the beast'. (in Daniel 12:7 & 7:25)
How do we know that when the prophecies refer to 'times' they truly do mean years? In Revelation 12: 6 Jesus clearly shows us that 1260 days actually does equal 3 1/2 times. First he says that the beast will tread Jerusalem underfoot for 1260 days. Then, just a couple of verses later, Jesus says that the beast will tread Jerusalem underfoot for 3 1/2 times. Clearly, according to Jesus, 1260 days equals 3 1/2 times... and 3 1/2 times equals 1260 days.
The number 1260 is also repeatedly referred to in the Islamic religion as the time when the messiah will appear.
Muhammad's 'grandson', the Imam Sadiq, when asked when the messiah will appear, replied verily
in the year '60 (1260) His cause shall be revealed and his name shall be noised abroad.
Another collection of Islamic prophecies states that
in Gharsthe tree of divine guidance shall be planted. And again in the year Ghars the earth shall be illumined by His light.As you may know, in the Arabic language, words and letters all have corresponding numerical values. The word Ghars is an Arabic word meaning the planting and it has a numeric value of 1260. And these are just a few examples of Islamic prophecies. There are even more Islamic prophecies that refer to the year 1260 as the time when the Islamic messiah will appear.
The year 1260 AH of the Islamic calendar is the exact same year 1844 AD of the Christian calendar.
In other words, these Islamic prophecies agree with the prophecies found in Daniel and in the Book of Revelation. They all foretold the appearance of the messiah in the exact same year.
In the Zoroastrian religion we also can find a prophecy which also says that the messiah will appear in the twelfth century after the beginning of the religion of Islam. (the Magi who came to see the infant Jesus were Zoroastrian priests)
In his book, the Dinkird, Zoroaster states when a thousand two hundred and some years have passed from the inception of the religion of the Arabian (Muhammad was the Arabian)... a descendant of the Persian kings will be raised up as a Prophet...
Zoroaster, who lived approximately 1000 years before Jesus' time, also agrees that the 1260 year prophecy should begin with the inception of the religion of Muhammad.
To summarize, that's thirteen separate 1260 year prophecies from four separate middle eastern religions, encompassing four countries and given over a period of almost four thousand years.
These prophecies all state that this beast will control Jerusalem for 1260 years. Who is this beast? It is the only empire which arose after the Romans to conquer and control Jerusalem . . . the pseudo-Islamic Empire under the Umayyads and later under the Abbasids.
What is truly amazing about these prophecies is that four separate and distinct middle eastern religions, spanning thousands of years, each speaking different languages, each with their own different Founder, each with their own Holy Books containing their own separate prophecies all foretold the exact same event in the exact same year.
The year 1260 AH of the Islamic calendar just happens to also be the exact same year 1844 AD of the Christian calendar. Can you see what this means? The '7-times' prophecy of Moses, the '2300 day/year' 'Abomination of Desolation' prophecy of Daniel (referred to by Jesus) and the thirteen '1260 day/year' prophecies all indicate the exact same year . . . the year 1844 AD. That's fifteen separate prophecies which pinpoint the exact same year.
The 'Abomination of Desolation' ended in 1844 when the Edict of Toleration was signed by the Caliph of Islam allowing the Jews to return to Israel ending the 'times of the gentiles.' And even more importantly . . . this was the exact year when the Baha'i Faith began. On May 23rd, 1844 the young 'Bab' (the forerunner of Baha'u'llah) announced to his first disciple that he was the Promised One whose coming had been foretold in the prophecies. The Christ presence had returned as a thief in the night with a 'new name' just as foretold in the New Testament writings.
History tells us that from age to age God sends Prophets to the world. From age to age the presence of God returns and is manifested to a chosen One. Jesus identified himself with the Prophets who had appeared before his time. So did all the other Prophets. Each and every one of these Prophets were motivated by the same Spirit of the same One true God. Jesus clearly identified himself as part of this process and he repeatedly announced that there was still more to come.
In Matthew 24 the Apostles asked Jesus how to recognize the time of the return of the 'presence'. Jesus warned that his will be a time when false teachers will have led people away from the true path. And he warned that when the presence again appears in human form... when God again sends another Prophet, people will oppose him.
Once again, as it has so many times in the past, this cycle of 'return' has repeated itself. It happened again in Israel, in the mid 1800s... right at the exact time pinpointed in the number prophecies of the Bible.
This Promised One appeared just as promised by Jesus. He came both as a thief in the night and as a bridegroom who came at an unexpected time and in an unexpected way and found his bride misdirected, asleep and unprepared. As Jesus promised, the Christ "presence" has once again returned with a "new name". His new name is Baha'u'llah.
Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i Faith wrote:
The Revelation which, from time immemorial, hath been acclaimed as the Purpose and Promise of all the Prophets of God, and the most cherished Desire of His Messengers, hath now, by virtue of the pervasive Will of the Almighty and at His irresistible bidding, been revealed unto men. The advent of such a Revelation hath been heralded in all the sacred Scriptures. Behold how, notwithstanding such an announcement, mankind hath strayed from its path and shut out itself from its glory.
Say: O ye lovers of the One true God! Strive, that ye may truly recognize and know Him, and observe befittingly His precepts. This is a Revelation, under which, if a man shed for its sake one drop of blood, myriads of oceans will be his recompense. Take heed, O friends, that ye forfeit not so inestimable a benefit, or disregard its transcendent station. Consider the multitude of lives that have been, and are still being, sacrificed in a world deluded by a mere phantom which the vain imaginations of its peoples have conceived. Render thanks unto God, inasmuch as ye have attained unto your heart's Desire, and been united to Him Who is the Promise of all nations. Guard ye, with the aid of the one true God - exalted be His glory - the integrity of the station which ye have attained, and cleave to that which shall promote His Cause. He, verily, enjoineth on you what is right and conducive to the exaltation of man's station. Glorified be the All-Merciful, the Revealer of this wondrous Tablet. -Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, pages 5-6
The Promised One has come...

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