The significance of twin things in the Cause

I remember the time I was in the presence of Shoghi Effendi when he spoke about the significance of twin things [1] in the Cause. In fact, he sent a cable about this to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the British Isles. In this cable, he told us about the significance of twin occurrences in this Cause. He told the Assembly that we have twin cities – holy cities -'Akka and Haifa; twin houses - the House of Shiraz and the House of Baghdad; twin Manifestations - the Manifestation of the Bab and that of Baha'u'llah. He continued, telling us everything is twin: twin festivals- the birthday of the Bab and that of Baha'u'llah; twin monuments - of the brother and mother of 'Abdu'l-Baha. During this time I was in his presence, the beloved Guardian was so exhilarated and happy. It gave me the courage to mention to him that we have two gardens: the garden of Ridvan and the garden of Firdaws. Then, the beloved Shoghi Effendi smiled and said, "You've noted that, but you have forgotten to say twin vistas: the view of the sea and the view of the mountain." After explaining these things, he paused and looked at me deeply and said, "In the Cause of God everything is twin." I have no doubt that he meant two Manifestations and two Interpreters: The Bab and Baha'u'llah, the two Manifestations of God; and 'Abdu'l-Baha and the beloved Shoghi Effendi, the two Interpreters.

(Hand of the Cause Dhikru’llah Khadem, ‘The Vision of Shoghi Effendi’, Proceedings of the Association for Baha'i Studies, Ninth Annual Conference, November 2-4, 1984, Ottawa, Canada)

[1] Shoghi Effendi, Messages to the Bahai' World 1950-1957: "Greatly enhanced international endowments in Holy Land in twin cities of Acre and Haifa, now include twin Holy Shrines situated on plain of Acre and slope of Mount Carmel; twin Mansions of Bahji and Mazra'ih, twin historic Houses inhabited by Baha'u'llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha; twin International Archives adjoining the Bab's Sepulcher and the resting-place of the Greatest Holy Leaf; twin Pilgrim Houses, constructed for Oriental and Occidental pilgrims; twin Gardens of Ridvan and Firdaws, associated with the memory of the Author of the Baha'i Dispensation."

One of the effects of the revelation of Tablets on Bahá'u'lláh

It has been said that one of the effects of the revelation of Tablets on Bahá'u'lláh was that He would remain for some time after in a state of excitement and, as a result, would be unable to eat. 

(Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah vol. 1)

Being in the presence of Baha’u’llah at the time of revelation

It was during one of his visits to 'Akká that Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali was allowed to enter the presence of Bahá'u'lláh at the time of revelation. He has left to posterity the following brief account of that memorable occasion: 

...When permission was granted and the curtain was withdrawn, I entered the room where the King of kings and the Ruler of this world and the next, nay rather the Ruler of all the worlds of God, was with great authority seated on His couch. The verses of God were being revealed and the words streamed forth as in a copious rain. Methought the door, the wall, the carpet, the ceiling, the floor and the air were all perfumed and illumined. They all had been transformed, each and every one, into ears and were filled with a spirit of joy and ecstasy. Each object had become refreshed and was pulsating with life... To which worlds I was transported and in what state I was, no one who has not experienced such as this can ever know. 

(Adib Taherzadeh, ‘The Revelation of Baha'u'llah vol. 1)

The spread of the Cause

In the afternoon ‘Abdu’l-Baha met some of the friends who had called at the San Francisco house, but it was not until evening that He met the entire assembly at the Baha'i headquarters in the Lick Building. After expressing His happiness at finding Himself in such a well organized assembly in the distant West, He compared the spread of the Cause to the growth of early Christianity and spoke of the small number of Baha'is at the time of the exile from Persia. There were thirty stages on the way from Tihran to Baghdad, He said, and in those thirty stages they did not find one Baha'i, and yet now in each one of them there are great numbers of Baha'i friends. Despite the fact that the governments of Persia and Turkey united in tyranny and oppression to extinguish the lamp of God, yet its radiance extended throughout the world, even as far as San Francisco, half way around the world from Its birthplace. He exhorted the believers, few though they might be, to strive day and night to give forth the summons of God, inviting the souls to the Kingdom; otherwise God would create those who would hoist the standard and conquer the cities of the hearts. These meetings were for the Baha'is and were quite informal.

(Ella Cooper, unpublished manuscript, October 4, 1912)

Fujita joined ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s entourage in Chicago

One who came with ‘Abdu’l-Baha from Chicago was Haritsu S. Fujita, a young Japanese who had received the Message while working as "school boy" in the home of Mrs. Kathryn Frankland in Fruitvale, California. Afterward he had gone to Chicago to study and was living with the family of Mrs. Corinne True. ‘Abdu’l-Baha, as He passed through Chicago, asked Fujita to join His retinue. 
(Ella Cooper, unpublished manuscript)

Resurrection of Jesus Christ

'Abdu'l-Baha said: 

Jesus Christ had two bodies -- one spiritual and one material.

The material body is of no importance; it changes and changes and changes always. An old person's body is not the same, as that of the same individual when young.

The visible world does nothing but change, and change leads to annihilation.

We must be sure that when the soul of man leaves his body, it never returns to that body again.

In the Gospel record, when Jesus Christ was crucified and ascended, Mary Magdalene and the other disciples had fallen into such a state of excitement and agitation, that during three days the cause of God was annihilated for them. After three days their agitation having abated, they realised that the cause of Jesus Christ, and His teaching was everlasting in the world. The disciples would not at first write to the other believers openly that Jesus was crucified till Mary Magdalene said to them what does it matter; His soul is with us. When Jesus was crucified, some said "His religion is annihilated and gone." Mary Magdalene said "Matter is gone, and flesh -- but the soul of the religion is forever."