“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
“And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” – Isaiah 2:2-3
(© Bahá’í International Community)
Mountain of God
Mount Carmel in the Holy Land is the mountain from which the law of God is to go forth. It is where Elijah demonstrated the power of the Lord over the false god Baal. It is extolled by Isaiah and Amos:
“The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.” (Amos 1:2)
“Carmel, in the Book of God, hath been designated as the Hill of God, and His Vineyard. It is here that, by the grace of the Lord of Revelation, the Tabernacle of Glory hath been raised. Happy are they that attain thereunto; happy they that set their faces towards it.” (Bahá’u’lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 145)
Bahá’u’lláh walked upon Mount Carmel and designated it as the mountain from which the law of God would go forth.
“Haste thee, O Carmel, for lo, the light of the countenance of God, the Ruler of the Kingdom of Names and Fashioner of the heavens, hath been lifted upon thee. … Rejoice, for God hath in this Day established upon thee His throne, hath made thee the dawning-place of His signs and the dayspring of the evidences of His Revelation.” (Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 3-5)
Judge and Ruler of Nations
Isaiah continues:
“And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (Isaiah 2:4)
Bahá’u’lláh revealed laws and established principles for the peaceful and secure governance of the world. While yet a prisoner, He sent letters to the kings and heads of state of Europe, America, and the Middle East, commanding them to turn towards God, stop oppressing their people, reduce their armaments, and to make peace instead of war. In one of the letters He said:
“Lay not aside the fear of God, O kings of the earth, and beware that ye transgress not the bounds which the Almighty hath fixed. Observe the injunctions laid upon you in His Book, and take good heed not to overstep their limits. Be vigilant, that ye may not do injustice to anyone, be it to the extent of a grain of mustard seed. Tread ye the path of justice, for this, verily, is the straight path.
“Compose your differences and reduce your armaments, that the burden of your expenditures may be lightened, and that your minds and hearts may be tranquillized. Heal the dissensions that divide you, and ye will no longer be in need of any armaments except what the protection of your cities and territories demandeth. Fear ye God, and take heed not to outstrip the bounds of moderation and be numbered among the extravagant.
We have learned that ye are increasing your outlay every year, and are laying the burden thereof on your subjects. This, verily, is more than they can bear, and is a grievous injustice. Decide ye justly between men, O kings, and be ye the emblems of justice amongst them. This, if ye judge fairly, is the thing that behoveth you, and beseemeth your station.” (Bahá’u’lláh, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 188)
The kings were told that if they did not heed the message, that they would lose their kingdoms. And indeed, Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary, Emperor Napoleon III of France, King Wilhelm I of Prussia, Sulṭán ‘Abdu’l-‘Azíz of the Ottoman Empire, Emperor Alexander II of Russia, and Násiri’d-Dín Sháh of the Persian Empire ridiculed or ignored the letters and warnings of Bahá’u’lláh, and all of them were defeated or overthown by revolution, and their kingdoms were lost. Only Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland gave a favorable response, and hers is the only kingdom that remains today.
“And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:15-16)
Zion and Jerusalem
When talking about the law going forth, Isaiah refers to Zion and Jerusalem:
“ … for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3)
“O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him:” (Isaiah 40:9-10)
“The Breath hath been wafted, and the Breeze hath blown, and from Zion hath appeared that which was hidden, and from Jerusalem is heard the Voice of God, the One, the Incomparable, the Omniscient.” (Bahá’u’lláh, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in The Promised Day is Come, p. 76)
“This Day all the signs have appeared. A Great City hath descended from heaven, and Zion trembleth and exulteth with joy at the Revelation of God, for it hath heard the Voice of God on every side. This Day Jerusalem hath attained unto a new Evangel, for in the stead of the sycamore standeth the cedar. Jerusalem is the place of pilgrimage for all the peoples of the world, and hath been named the Holy City. Together with Zion and Palestine, they are all included within these regions.” (Bahá’u’lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 144)