September 5, 2011

Question: What are the characteristics of the New Era according to the Bible?

Answer: by George Townshend, Hand of the Cause and former Canon of Anglican St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland.

a) Justice, government and law for all nations

"Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." (Isa. 9:7)

"For the kingdom is the Lord's: and He is the governor among the nations." (Ps. 22:28)

"Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." (Ps. 85:l0) (See also: II Samuel 7:12-16; I Chronicles 16:33; Psalms 50:6; 72: 1-19; 82:8; Isaiah 2:2-4; 9:6; 32:1-3; 43:9; Jeremiah 31:33; 33:15; Obadiah 21)

b) Peace

"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." (Isa. 11:9) (See also: Isaiah 11:6-8; 65:17-25; Ezekiel 34:25; Hosea 2:18; Haggai 2:9; Zechariah 14:11)

c) World Unity

“And He shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." (Mic. 4:3) (See also: Daniel 2:44, Micab 4:2)

d) World brotherhood

"In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree." (Zech. 3:10)

e) One Faith

"And the Lord shall be king over all the earth; in that day shall there be one Lord, and His name one." (Zech. 14:9) (See a lso : Isaiah 52:6; 56:7; 66:23)

f) Spiritual quickening

"And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh; that they may walk in my statutes and keep mine ordinances, and do them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God." (Ezek. ll:19, 20) (See also Joel 2:28, 29)

g) Universal language

"For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent. (Zeph. 3:9) (See also: Zechariah 14:9)

h) One name for the faithful

"And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name." (Isa . 62:2)

i) Democracy

"And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he s hall approach unto me: for who is t his that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the Lord." (Jer. 30:21)

j) Science

"The chariots s hall rage in the streets , they shall jostle one against another in the broad ways; they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings." (Nah. 2:4) (See also: Daniel 12:4; Nahum 2:3; Habakkuk 2:14)

k) Health

"There s hall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred year sold shall be accursed." (Isa. 65:20) (See also: Isaiah 65:19; Malachi 4:2)

l) Security, plenty

“They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their offspring with them." (Isa. 65:23) (See also: Isaiah 4:2; 30:23; 65:21, 22; Ezekiel 34:23-31; Joel 3:18)

m) Teachers visible

"And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers." (Isa. 30:20)

n) Eyes and ears

"Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped." (Isa. 35:5) (See also: Isaiah 29:18)

o) Passing of idols

"For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin." (Isa. 31:7) (See also: Zechariah 13:2)

(George Townshend, Questions About the Second Coming Asked by Baha'is of Kampala, Uganda, Africa: Answers by George Townshend; Wilmette, Baha'i Publishing Committee, 1953)