e towards Me, and clear thee of the charges of those who
disbelieve, and will place those who follow thee [that is,
Christians] above those who disbelieve [Jews and others], until
the Day of Resurrection; then to Me shall be your return, so I
will decide between you concerning that in which you
differed."--Sura iii, 54.

"The Hand of God," say the Jews, "is chained up." Their own hands
shall be chained up--and for that which they have said shall they
be cursed. Nay! outstretched are both His hands! At His own
pleasure doth He bestow gifts. That which hath been sent down to
thee from thy Lord will surely increase the rebellion and unbelief
of many of them; and We have put enmity and hatred between them
that shall last until the Day of Resurrection. Oft as they kindle
a beacon fire for war shall God quench it.--Sura v, 69.

And of those who say, "We are Christians," have We accepted the
Covenant. But they too have forgotten a part of what they were
taught; wherefore We have stirred up enmity and hatred among them
that shall last till the Day of Resurrection; and in the end will
God tell them of their doings.--Sura v, 17.

These words also have been literally fulfilled in the subjection of the
Jews to Christian (and Muslim) peoples, and in the sectarianism and strife
which have divided both Jews and Christians among themselves during all
the centuries since Muhammad spoke. Only since the commencement of the
Baha'i era (the Day of Resurrection) have signs of the approaching end of
these conditions made their appearance.

Signs in Heaven and Earth

In the Hebrew, Christian, Muhammadan and many other Scriptures, there is a
remarkable similarity in the description of the signs which are to
accompany the coming of the Promised One.

In the Book of Joel we read:--

And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood,
and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into
darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible
days of the Lord come.... For, behold, in those days ... when I
shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will
also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley
of Jehoshaphat [Jehovah judgeth], and will plead with them
there.... Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for
the day of the Lord is near in the val