tain
chapters of these dealt with in Some Answered Questions. In the Book of
Iqan, by Baha'u'llah, Baha'i Proofs, by Mirza Abu'l-Fadl, and in many of
the Tablets of Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha further explanation of
prophecies may be found. Prophecies of Baha'u'llah and

CHAPTER 14: 'ABDU'L-BAHA

And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord
hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the
thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath
not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not
be afraid of him.--Duet. xviii, 21-22.

Creative Power of God's Word

God, and God alone, has the power to do whatever He wills, and the
greatest proof of a Manifestation of God is the creative power of His
word--its effectiveness to change and transform all human affairs and to
triumph over all human opposition. Through the word of the Prophets God
announces His will, and the immediate or subsequent fulfillment of that
word is the clearest proof of the Prophet's claim and of the genuineness
of His inspiration.

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from the heaven, and
returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring
forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to
the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:
it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that
which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent
it.--Isa. lv, 10-11.

When the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus with the question:
"Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?" the answer of
Jesus was simply to point to the effects wrought by His words:--

Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The
blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are
cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor
have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever
shall not be offended in me.--Matt. xi, 4-6.

Let us now see what evidence there is to show whether the words of
Baha'u'llah have this creative power which is distinctive of the word of
God.

Baha'u'llah commanded the rulers to establish universal peace, and their
prolongation of the policy of war since 1869-1870 has overthrown many
ancient dynasties, while each successive war has produc