Zoroastrian Prophecies Fulfilled
The Zoroastrian Scriptures, like those of all the other world religions, contain Messianic Prophecies foretelling the future appearance of a "redeemer".
"He shall be the victorious Benefactor (Saoshyant) by name and World-renovator [Astavat-ereta] by name. He is Benefactor because he will benefit the entire physical world; he is World- renovator because he will establish the physical living existence indestructible. He will oppose the evil of the progeny of the biped and withstand the enmity produced by the faithful."--- Zoroastrianism- Avesta, Farvardin Yast 13.129
A statement attributed to one of the Zoroastrian Scriptures contains one of the most explicit prophecies identifying the TIME when this "World-renovator" will appear.
"When a thousand two hundred and some years have passed from the inception of the religion of the Arabian (Muhammad) and the overthrow of the kingdom of Iran and the degradation of the followers of My religion, a descendant of the Iranian kings (Baha'u'llah) will be raised up as a Prophet."--- ZOROASTER- Dinkird
Let's begin examining this prophecy by setting it's historic context.
Zoroaster refers to:
"the overthrow of the kingdom of Iran and the degradation of the followers of My religion..."
This actually did happen. The thousand year old "kingdom of Iran" indeed was "overthrown" by the followers of the "religion of the Arabian (Muhammad)" in the sixth century AD. The followers of Zoroaster's religion indeed were conquered and "degraded" by Muslims whose treatment them as second class citizens included such things as special taxes imposed upon them as non-Muslims.
Zoroaster then gives us the general time frame when the "World-renovator" was due to appear. He said:
"When a thousand two hundred and some years have passed from the inception of the religion of the Arabian (Muhammad)..."
Muhammad, the Arabian Prophet, founded the religion of Islam early in
the sixth century AD. The Islamic calendar begins in the year 622 AD... the
year of the Hegira. (The Hegira was the journey that Muhammad was forced to
make from Mecca to Medina to escape his enemies.) Even though the Islamic
caledar began in 622 AD... Muhammad actually began to teach at least ten years
earlier.
Keeping this in mind, then:
"A thousand two hundred and some years..." "...from the inception of the religion of the Arabian (Muhammad)"would be sometime in the 1800s. If you add "a thousand two hundred and some years" to 622 AD... you get the appearance of the Zoroastrian Messiah sometime in the 1800s.
This brings us to the final, and most exciting detail of this prophecy.
Zoroaster promised that at this time:
"A descendant of the Iranian kings will be raised up as a Prophet."
Baha'u'llah explicitly claims to be the One whose coming was foretold in the Zoroastrian prophecies. "To the priestly caste, holding sacerdotal supremacy over the followers of the Faith of Zoroaster, that same Voice, identifying itself with the voice of the promised Shah-Bahram, has declared:
"O high priests! Ears have been given you that they may hearken unto the mystery of Him Who is the Self-Dependent, and eyes that they may behold Him. Wherefore flee ye? The Incomparable Friend is manifest. He speaketh that wherein lieth salvation. Were ye, O high priests, to discover the perfume of the rose garden of understanding, ye would seek none other but Him, and would recognize, in His new vesture, the All-Wise and Peerless One, and would turn your eyes from the world and all who seek it, and would arise to help Him."
"Whatsoever hath been announced in the Books," Baha'u'llah, replying to a Zoroastrian who had inquired regarding the promised Shah-Bahram, has written, "hath been revealed and made clear. From every direction the signs have been manifested. The Omnipotent One is calling, in this Day, and announcing the appearance of the Supreme Heaven."
"This is not the day," He, in another Tablet declares, "whereon the high priests can command and exercise their authority. In your Book it is stated that the high priests will, on that Day, lead men far astray, and will prevent them from drawing nigh unto Him. He indeed is a high priest who hath seen the light and hastened unto the way leading to the Beloved."
"Say, O high priests!" He, again addresses them, "The Hand of Omnipotence is stretched forth from behind the clouds; behold ye it with new eyes. The tokens of His majesty and greatness are unveiled; gaze ye on them with pure eyes.... Say, O high priests! Ye are held in reverence because of My Name, and yet ye flee Me! Ye are the high priests of the Temple. Had ye been the high priests of the Omnipotent One, ye would have been united with Him, and would have recognized Him.... Say, O high priests! No man's acts shall be acceptable, in this Day, unless he forsaketh mankind and all that men possess, and setteth his face towards the Omnipotent One." ---Shoghi Effendi: The Promised Day is Come, pages 77-78
"The time fore-ordained unto the people and kindreds of the earth is now come. The promises of God as recorded in the holy Scriptures, have all been fulfilled..." "The Revelation which, from time immemorial hath been acclaimed as the Purpose and Promise of all the prophets of God, and the most cherished Desire of His Messengers, hath now, by virtue of the pervasive Will of the Almighty and at His irresistible bidding, been revealed unto men. The advent of such a Revelation hath been heralded in all the sacred Scriptures. Behold how, notwithstanding such an announcement, mankind hath strayed from its path and shut out itself from its glory..."
Baha'u'llah offers you this invitation: "Verily I say, this is the day in which mankind can behold the Face and hear the Voice of the Promised One. The call of God hath been raised, and the light of His countenance hath been lifted up upon men. It behooveth every man to blot out the trace of every idle word from the tablet of his heart, and to gaze, with an open and unbiased mind, on the signs of His Revelation, the proofs of His Mission, and the tokens of His Glory."