from Amica Adams, October, 1998
Name of Tablet in Arabic or Persian: Lawh-i-Pap
Translation into English: Tablet to Pope Pius IX

Significance of name: Tablet revealed to Pope Pius IX

Tablet was revealed in: Arabic
Name of Recipient: Pope Pius IX - Count Mastai-Ferretti, Bishop of Imola

Reason for Revelation of Tablet: In this Tablet, Baha'u'llah reveals His station to Pope Pius IX. He states that "He Who is the Lord of Lords is come", saying that He is the return of Christ in the glory of the Father. He calls on the Pope to recognize His station.

I would speculate that the reason why He revealed a Tablet to the Pope is largely symbolic. Being All-Knowing, one must assume that Baha'u'llah would have known that the Pope would not recognize Him. That may be the reason why Baha'u'llah warns the Pope so many times in the Tablet about what would happen to him if he did not follow Baha'u'llah's exhortations. Para 2: "Guard thyself, lest darkness spread its veils over thee, and fold thee away from His light" (Here He is informing the Pope of the possibility that he will not accept the Revelation of Baha'u'llah, and the consequences of this. This would be very new to the Pope, in contrast to the deference he would have been used to.)

In providing these warnings, Baha'u'llah is also pointing out to the Pope those veils that will most hinder him from embracing the Cause of God. These are

A. Allowing previous prejudices to veil one from the truth, thus preventing one from truly investigating Baha'u'llah's claims - Para 1: "Beware that thou dispute not with Him even as the Pharisees disputed with Him (Jesus) without a clear token or proof"
B. Attachment to the Kingdom of names. (This "name" may refer to either the Pope's attachment to his own station in the Catholic Church and the name of the supreme pontiff; or it may refer to the Pope's attachment to the "name" of Jesus which would prevent him from being able to believe in the return of Jesus in anything more than an abstract sense.) - Para 1: "Beware lest any name debar thee from God, the Creator of earth and heaven."
C. Greed, or attachment to the material things of this world - Para 4: "Beware lest thou appropriate unto thyself the things of the world and the riches thereof.

-- In conclusion, this Tablet was revealed to announce to the Pope the coming of the Revelation of Baha'u'llah; but also to warn the Pope about those things which will hinder him from embracing the Cause.

Questions asked that are answered in Tablet (if known): This Tablet, being an announcement, is not in response to any question on the part of the Pope. Baha'u'llah does not ask the Pope any questions in the Tablet apart from "Dwellest thou in palaces whilst He Who is the King of Revelation liveth in the most desolate of abodes?" (Para 1). In asking this question, Baha'u'llah highlights the inappropriateness of the Pope's worldly glory. He also contrasts the material wealth of the Pope (a spiritual "desolate abode") with the "living waters of grace" and the "choice Wine of His Justice" (Para 1). It is the latter two that Baha'u'llah is offering the Pope.

Place of Revelation: 'Akka

Date of Revelation: Probably not long before 1870 (the year in which King Victor Emmanuel I went to war with the Papal states, and the army took over Rome).

Role of Amanuensis or Secretary: Unknown

Other Tablets revealed at about the same time: The Tablet to Napoleon

Tone, subject, and genre of the Tablet:
Tone of the Tablet: Authoritative, stern, and straightforward in its message. The Tablet is dominated by sentences of exhortation/command:
Para 1: "Beware that thou dispute not with Him"
"Beware lest any name debar thee from God"
"Leave them unto such as desire them" (the palaces)
"Arise in the name of thy Lord seize thou the Cup of Life first drink thou therefrom, and proffer it then to such as turn towards it amongst the peoples of all faiths"
This commanding tone in the first paragraph clearly establishes the authority of Baha'u'llah in relation to the Pope. Thus, the Tablet can also be seen as a challenge to the Pope as it is in contrast to the subordinate position usually assumed by people towards him. Given the bold nature of the Tablet, and its clear message, any lack of response on the part of the Pope is a clear rejection of the claims of Baha'u'llah.

Subject of the Tablet:
1. Baha'u'llah addresses the Pope, announcing to him that He is the return of Christ.
Para 1: "He Who is the Lord of Lords is come overshadowed with clouds"
"He verily, hath again come down from Heaven even as He came down from it the first time."
Para 2: "The Father is come, and that which ye were promised in the Kingdom is fulfilled."
Para 3: "The Word which the Son concealed is made manifest. It hath been sent down in the form of the human temple in this day." - this could be in connection to Daniel 12:4, where Jesus tells Daniel: " But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." -- in other words, Baha'u'llah and His Revelation are both the physical and spiritual unsealing (making "manifest") of that which had been "concealed" ("sealed").

2. He warns the Pope not to turn away from this call:
Para 1: "Beware that thou dispute not with Him even as the Pharisees disputed with Him (Jesus) without a clear token or proof."
--in making this statement, Baha'u'llah makes a clear connection between Himself and Jesus, and also draws a parallel between the behavior of the Pharisees and the behavior of those who will "disputewithout a clear token or proof" in this Dispensation.

3. Baha'u'llah warns the Pope of those things that will hinder him from recognizing the Truth
- Attachment to previous knowledge which will prevent him from investigating the truth without prejudice
- Attachment to material possessions
- Attachment to the "name" of Jesus, as well as the "name", or title of "Pope" (see above for relevant quotations)

4. Baha'u'llah tells the Pope what he SHOULD do:
A. Detach himself from the material world: -- "Leave thou the world behind thee.." (Para 1)
B. Recognize Baha'u'llah: "..turn towards thy Lord." (Para 1)
C. First attain the spirit of faith and only then teach others. - This is in the same vein as Gleanings CXXVIII, in which Baha'u'llah states "Whoso ariseth among you to teach the Cause of his Lord, let him, before all else, teach his own self, that his speech may attract the hearts of them that hear him. Unless he teacheth his own self, the words of his mouth will not influence the heart of the seeker."
In this Tablet, this theme is addressed with the following : " seize thou the Cup of Life with the hands of confidence, and _first drink thou therefrom_, and proffer it _then_" (Para 1).
D. Sell his possessions to further the Cause of God: -- "Sell all the embellished ornaments thou does possess, and expend them in the path of God." (Para 4).

Genre of the Tablet: tablet of command revealed to an individual.

Voice of the Tablet (who is speaking? Baha'u'llah? God? Other figures? Are there several voices?)
Baha'u'llah. He also says that the Rock (Peter) "crieth out", though I do not think this quoting is sufficient to consider Peter as speaking.

Outline Contents of Tablet:
By Paragraphs:
1. Baha'u'llah announces that He is the return of Christ. He warns the Pope not to "dispute" with Him or refute His claims without clear proof. He warns the Pope not to let any "name debar thee from God" He calls on the Pope to renounce the world, accept Baha'u'llah's Revelation and offer the Cup of Faith to the rest of the world.

In His announcement to the Pope, Baha'u'llah uses Christian imagery: "He Who is the Lord of Lords is come overshadowed with clouds" . This both makes the text more accessible to a Christian audience, and reinforces the reader's awareness of His connection to Christ.

Baha'u'llah warns the Pope about allowing any "name" to hinder him from accepting the Truth. This "name" could be the Pope's attachment to his own "name", that of the supreme pontiff of the church; it could also refer to the Pope's attachment to the name of Christ.

Baha'u'llah calls on the Pope to offer the "Cup of Life" to the "peoples of all faiths", in contrast to what one might expect - that He would only ask the Pope to announce to Christians the Revelation of Baha'u'llah. This command for the Pope to teach the "peoples of all faiths" reinforces the universality of His claims, and also emphasizes their revolutionary nature. In spreading the Message to all peoples, irrespective of their religion, the Pope would be clearly making a break from his current status as the religious leader of only one faith. In this case, Baha'u'llah is inviting the Pope to become a teacher of the whole of humanity - a sure step up in the world!

Baha'u'llah states that the Pope should "proffer" the "Cup of Life" only to "such as turn towards it". This can be seen as a reference to the principle of the independent investigation of truth and the prohibition against proselytizing as can be seen in The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah (Persian #36) - "The wise are they that speak not unless they obtain a hearing"

2. Baha'u'llah states that it was the fishermen who believed in Jesus when He first came, and the "learned" who rejected Him. He states that although the Pharisees had been awaiting His advent, when He came, they rejected Him. And yet, men now "pride" themselves on being His followers. Baha'u'llah points out that the learned of this day have also turned away from Him.

- Baha'u'llah calls the Pope "one of the suns of the heaven of His names." This could be seen as a compliment, and an acknowledgement on the part of Baha'u'llah of the Pope's high station. It could also, though, be a warning. This interpretation is reinforced by the next sentence where Baha'u'llah warns the Pope to "Guard thyself, lest darkness spread its veils over thee". He is therefore saying that it is precisely because the Pope has such a high station that he is at such risk of not recognizing Baha'u'llah.

- Baha'u'llah in this paragraph is drawing a direct parallel between the behavior of those who rejected Christ when He came, and the behavior of the learned of this time who have not recognized Him. By using the example of the Pharisees, Baha'u'llah demonstrates to a Christian audience the magnitude of the error of not recognizing Him.

- Baha'u'llah states in this paragraph that "when the appointed time was fulfilled", numerous monks (the epitome of Christian devotion) "knew Us not". In this case, the "appointed time" is the time in which the degree of enlightenment of the people is revealed by their reaction to the claims of Baha'u'llah. It is in that moment that they are judged. It may be significant that Baha'u'llah says that they "knew _us_ not", using the plural. This may be a reference to the fact that He is the return of Christ, and in not recognizing Baha'u'llah, the people do not "know", or therefore recognize, Christ. This makes sense, as if one examines Progressive Revelation, and sees that each Manifestation prepares the way for the next, to deny Baha'u'llah is to invalidate them all. This is stated clearly in the Tablet of Ahmad, where Baha'u'llah states: "Be thou assured in thyself that verily, he who turns away from this Beauty hath also turned away from the Messengers of the past and showeth pride towards God from all eternity to all eternity."

3. Baha'u'llah reaffirms that He is the return of Christ. He calls on the people to accept Him. He then refers to the sufferings of Jesus.

- See above for reference to the meaning of "The Word which the Son concealed is made manifest." In addition to that which is stated above, Baha'u'llah is here asserting the Progressive nature of Revelation. That which was "concealed" has now been revealed. This shows the reader that there has been an increase in the amount of spiritual knowledge (the "Word") which is available to the people.

- I am confused about the following passage: "My body longeth for the cross, and Mine head waiteth the thrust of the spear, in the path of the All-Merciful, that the world may be purged from its transgressions" As far as I can tell, this statement could be a re-emphasizing of the link between Baha'u'llah and Christ. It could also be a reference by Baha'u'llah to Christ's sufferings. Christ died on the cross that "the world may be purged from its transgressions," and yet if the world does not recognize Baha'u'llah and does not move on to the next "step" of Progressive Revelation then does this mean that Christ died in vain? (this is a question that is sure to raise much controversy). Another possible meaning of this passage is that Baha'u'llah longs to do what Christ had done if the world could attain enlightenment. This is, in fact, a reflection of the life of Baha'u'llah. In Gleanings XLV, Baha'u'llah states: " The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty." In this way, although the specific nature of His suffering is not identical to that of Christ, their sufferings are parallel in their intent.

4. Baha'u'llah tells the Pope to listen to Him and gives him instructions. He calls on the Pope to sell his possessions, and to "expend them in the path of God." He tells the Pope to teach others and lead them to righteousness. He then warns the Pope against attachment to the world. He then tells the Pope to rely on naught but God and states that this is the time when all is "separated from each other."

- What is the meaning of the reference to Baha'u'llah as the "Fashioner of mouldering bones"? It is possible that this is a reference to this Revelation being one in which all things have been made new. If one thinks of the metaphor of the seasonality of the Religions ("the divine springtime is come", then summer, then fall, then winter), one could imagine that this is a reference to the fact that the winter had come for the Christian Revelation. The bones are located at the core of one's body. The body of humanity, composed of those who are adherents to Religions in the winter of their cycle, has "mouldering bones", implying that it is defected even to its core. It is only through the advent of Baha'u'llah that these "mouldering bones" can be "fashion[ed]" into new bones. In this way, the bones can be seen as a physical metaphor for a spiritual transformation.

- Baha'u'llah calls on the Pope to sell his "embellished ornaments". The use of the words "embellished" and "ornaments" emphasizes their non-utilitarian nature. Later in the paragraph, Baha'u'llah refers to "that which God hath made the ornament of the book of creation." This suggests that the Pope should exchange his physical ornaments for spiritual ones.

- Baha'u'llah says that the Pope should rely on naught else but Him if the Pope wants to come before Him. He concludes by saying that "the day of ingathering is come, and all things have been separated from each other." In saying this, He is emphasizing the crucial nature of this test for the Pope. He has the opportunity to either accept or reject the contents of the Tablet. Baha'u'llah is He "through Whom [God] hast divided between the godly and the wicked" (Baha'i Prayers, p114). This, for the Pope, is the moment at which he is first presented with the choice of which direction to turn. (Though whether the Pope's inability to recognize the truth is sufficient for him to be considered "wicked" is another question)

- Baha'u'llah concludes the Tablet with the statement that "Thus it hath been decreed by your Lord, the Mighty, the Loving, in this promised Day. He, verily, ordaineth what He pleaseth. There is none other God save He, the Almighty, the All-Compelling." After calling on the Pope to accept His claims, He emphasizes God's "Almighty" nature, reinforcing the fact that God is "self-sufficient, above any need of His creatures." (the Kitab-i-Aqdas, Para 61).

List the principal themes of the Tablet, in what you perceive to be their order of importance and state their relevance to a) individuals, b) families, c) groups of people, d) humanity.
1. Announcement that Baha'u'llah is the return of Christ.
2. Call for the Pope to recognize Him.
3. Call for him to renounce his earthly possessions, turn towards God, and lead others to the Truth.
4. Warning the Pope about the veils that will hinder him from recognizing Baha'u'llah.

A. Relevance to individuals: Although this Tablet is addressed towards the Pope, for all those who ever hear of Baha'u'llah and His Teachings there is a time in which they are faced with a similar test to the Pope's test - whether they accept, or reject Baha'u'llah's Teachings. Baha'u'llah calls on humanity to "Turn your faces towards Him, O concourse of the righteous."

The claim has been clearly stated. Baha'is cannot be in a comfort zone in the face of this Tablet, either, for Baha'u'llah states "Should the inebriation of the wine of My verses seize thee, and thou determinest to present thyself before the throne of thy Lord, the Creator of earth and heaven, make My love thy vesture and thy shield remembrance of Me, and thy provision reliance upon God, the Revealer of all power." (Para 4). This implies that even once one has recognized Baha'u'llah, one should attempt to purify himself in order to "present thyself before the throne of thy Lord". This is a task that is sure to take a lifetime. Another implication of this Tablet for Baha'is is that, since this is the day when "all things have been separated from each other", it is of paramount importance that we teach in such a way that we proclaim to the world as boldly (and yet not forgetting wisdom) as Baha'u'llah has done here. If this is the time when all is judged, surely we have the responsibility to teach as many people as we can, and as well as we can, both for love of Baha'u'llah and for love for our fellow human beings.

The individual must also meditate on the degree to which the veils that Baha'u'llah implies will hinder the Pope from recognizing Him are separating the individual from recognizing the station of Baha'u'llah more fully. This is of relevance to both Baha'is and non-Baha'is. The Pope is human, and therefore we may well share many of his attachments. It is not possible, therefore, for the individual to distance himself from the message of this Tablet.

B. Relevance for families and groups of people: This Tablet has its primary implications for individuals. It does not address the nature of group dynamics, but it does underline our responsibility to teach others: "Arise in the name of Thy Lord, the God of Mercy, amidst the peoples of the earth, and seize thou the Cup of Life with the hands of confidence, and first drink thou therefrom, and proffer it then to such as turn towards it amongst the peoples of all faiths." (Para 1).

C. Relevance for humanity: Had the Pope accepted Baha'u'llah's claims and followed the exhortations set forth in this Tablet, it would have had massive implications for the entire humanity. Apart from this, the relevance of the major themes of this tablet is primarily for the individual, as it is a call to action. And it is individuals who are at the heart of any action.

Comment on the Tablet's relationship to any other Tablets: This Tablet was revealed at around the same time as a number of other Tablets, including the Tablet to Napoleon. The fact that Baha'u'llah had begun to proclaim to the rulers of the world, both political and religious, emphasizes the importance of His Mission. The fact that none of the leaders to whom He wrote accepted His Revelation does not negate the effect of the Tablets. There may have been spiritual forces put into action when this Tablet was revealed, but we can only speculate about them. However, there were profound symbolic implications of Baha'u'llah's announcement to the rulers of the world. In doing so, He emphasized the world-embracing nature of His claims and their profound importance.

In several paragraphs, record your personal responses to the Tablet. It always amazes me to think that Baha'u'llah, a prisoner in 'Akka, wrote to the leaders of the world proclaiming His Mission. It demonstrates clearly the world-embracing scope of His vision.

I think that one important thing to draw out of the Tablet is the importance of humility for the individual. We must try to draw out of the Tablet those factors which are of relevance for us as individuals and apply them to our lives, so that we can "leave the world behind", and set our faces "with joy and delight towards the Kingdom"

I have included many of my personal responses to the Tablet in my discussion above, so will not write any more.