Timothy248

When do you'll believe this will happen? I prayed to know the answer a few weeks ago and had a dream the same night, in the dream their were nuclear explosions all around me and I asked the person next to me what year it was and they replied 2054. Although I've never had powerful prophecy powers in the past so this may not be accurate.

Sen McGlinn

Shoghi Effendi seems to have expected it to follow some time after the achievement of the lesser peace, long into the future. In 1932, in a letter written on Shoghi Effendi’s behalf, we find:

… it is only when the spirit has thoroughly permeated the world that the people will begin to enter the Faith in large numbers. … We are still in the state when only isolated souls are awakened, but soon we shall have the full swing of the season and the quickening of whole groups and nations into the spiritual life breathed by Baha’u'llah.

and this spread of the spirit follows the lesser peace:

this consummation will, by its very nature, be a gradual process, and must, as Baha’u'llah has Himself anticipated, lead at first to the establishment of that Lesser Peace … involving the reconstruction of mankind, as the result of the universal recognition of its oneness and wholeness, [This]…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 Baha’u'llah (Promised Day is Come)

I've gathered some of the quotes on my blog at :
Entry by troops (time to be announced) « Sen McGlinn's blog

Rani

As you mentioned a dream, I will relate a dream had by a friend of a friend, as described by my friend.

In a nutshell, this lady asked Abdu'-Baha (?).. I'm sorry I am not sure who she asked, but she asked how Entry by Troops would occur. And in her dream the answer that came was, 'through the gates of the schoolyard'.

My friend took this to mean it would come through the spiritual education of children, and subsequently of their families. For example Baha'i education in state schools which has been taken up in some schools in Australia.

It was a dream, and one person's interpretation of it. I have not seen anything authoritative that has said this, but I thought I'd relay it.

Emilia

Dear Friend, it is already been happening. [emphasis mine]

Is it the "mass conversions" part you were looking for?

To those of us who have some idea where to look, the building of the Lesser Peace is underway. But it does not seem like humanity is quite ready yet to give up its toys of nationalism, economic injustice, oppression and prejudice, or even undertake efforts to ensure the continued welfare of the planet and its inhabitants.

But just as within the Faith we go through phases of crisis and victory, so does the world.

Our current crises of global economic near collapse, ever shrinking supplies of food and water, unjust management of resources, oppressions of all sorts, well, some of those seem to have improved over the past century, but human attitudes don't seem to have quite finished shifting to the notion "we're all in this together" quite yet.

Still, compared to a century ago? The progress humanity has made in the direction is apparent to those who look.

Humans just seem a rather stubborn lot. Let's hope we can turn that into steadfastness sooner rather than later.

I often make the analogy that our times (by which I mean the past century and a half really) are like a forest fire that burns away the entire forest and leaves destruction in its wake. The destruction is apparent for such a long time, but for those who know to look for it, there are seeds and saplings of the next forest.

And it's not only Baha'is that seem to know to look for it either.

I've followed this econ prof's work since he wrote a book on the fall of communism and capitalism.

And here's his latest work: The New Golden Age: A Revolution against Political Corruption and Economic Chaos: Ravi Batra: 9780230613959: Amazon.com: Books

You may find it an interesting read. His view of human history moving in cycles not unlike Baha'u'llah's description of "seasons" is based largely on an Indian philosopher, I gather.

tonyfish58

Good Post Emilia, I would have to agree with you. I am thinking much along the same line.

I do not think we should be sitting back and waiting for this

"will be the prelude to that long-awaited hour when a mass conversion on the part of these same nations and races, and as a direct result of a chain of events, momentous and possibly catastrophic in nature, and which cannot as yet be even dimly visualized, will suddenly revolutionize the fortunes of the Faith, derange the equilibrium of the world, and reinforce a thousandfold the numerical strength as well as the material power and the spiritual authority of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh".

It is time to Rhui & Teach, Teach, Teach

Regards Tony

arthra

Sometimes our dreams can give us insights.. I was reading a statement by the Guardian in Citadel of Faith and breaking it down I feel there are some clues...

"This flow (of pioneers), moreover, will presage and hasten the advent of the day which, as prophesied by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, will witness the entry by troops of peoples of divers nations and races into the Bahá'í world

-- a day which, viewed in its proper perspective, will be the prelude to that long-awaited hour when a mass conversion on the part of these same nations and races,

and as a direct result of a chain of events, momentous and possibly catastrophic in nature,

and which cannot as yet be even dimly visualized, will suddenly revolutionize the fortunes of the Faith,

derange the equilibrium of the world,

and reinforce a thousandfold the numerical strength as well as the material power and the spiritual authority of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh."

Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith, p. 117 9

(Compilations, Quickeners of Mankind, p. 8)

So you could I think take the above statement and see the stages implied.. When people are immersed in changes and that could be catastrophic this could dip the scale.

At this stage we're too close to the changes occurring I think and it will take some time before we can appreciate what is occurring.

Emilia

Thanks, Tony. From the letters from the UHJ and so many other sources, I would agree it's not our part to sit back and wait for mass conversions. While we are not responsible for the building of the Lesser Peace, we certainly have to be prepared for the time, whenever it comes. This isn't some sort of spectator sport, after all.

"will be the prelude to that long-awaited hour when a mass conversion on the part of these same nations and races, and as a direct result of a chain of events, momentous and possibly catastrophic in nature, and which cannot as yet be even dimly visualized, will suddenly revolutionize the fortunes of the Faith, derange the equilibrium of the world, and reinforce a thousandfold the numerical strength as well as the material power and the spiritual authority of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh".

Exactly! Personally I think it's been very interesting to see how use of Ruhi materials and methods have spread. Starting out very small in Columbia, then rolled out in a small way, and now working with it globally, it's pretty easy to get the sense the House is working tirelessly to get the Friends in a position to deal in a unified but flexible way with a large influx when it comes.