RE: 24 elders

Ahang Rabbani (rabbana@a1.bmoa.umc.dupont.com)
Wed, Jan 11 1995 14:54:24 GMT

Reformatted, without the forwarding/WPS stuff.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, Jan 10 95 18:05:01 GMT
From: "Ahang Rabbani" <rabbana@a1.bmoa.umc.dupont.com>
Message-Id: <61018101105991/4670183@BMOA>
To: bahai-faith@oneworld.wa.com, lr1d+@andrew.cmu.edu
Subject: RE: 24 elders

Dear Lucien:

On Tuesday, 1/10/95, you posted:

> A friend of mine is giving a series and deepenings and firesides on
> the Book of Revelation, based on a various Baha'i sources that address
> this interesting issue. In "Lights of Guidance" by Helen Hornby,
> second edition, 1988, pp. 507-508, citing from a July, 1944 letter
> written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian indicates that,
> according to a Tablet of 'Abdu'l-Baha, the 24 elders mentioned in the
> book of Revelation (See Rev. 4:4 for the first mention) refer to the
> Bab, the 18 Letters of the Living, and 5 others "who would be known in
> the future," and goes on to say that "[s]o far we do not know who
> these five others are."

> My friend was wondering if anything has been said since this letter
> concerning the identity of the remaining 5 elders. Does anyone know
> anything in this regard? If you reply the b-board could you please
> copy me since I do not always get time to read soc.religion.bahai.
> Thank you.

The only additional information avaiable about the identity of the 5
elders that I'm familiar with can be found on page 117 of the book
"Khanidan-i-Afnan" (The Afnan Family), where a section of one of the
Tablets by Abdu'l-Baha is quoted. A summery translation is: "In regard
to your question of the identity of the remaining 5 elders, one of them
is Haji Mirza Muhammad-Taqi Afnan. The remaining 4 will be identifies
later."

Haji Mirza Muhammad-Taqi Afnan, the Vakilu'd-Dawlih, was a cousin of the
Bab -- the son of the Uncle in who's honor the Kitab-i-Iqan was revealed
by Baha'u'llah. He is the builder and architect of the Temple in
Ishqabad. For more details on him, please consult, "Memorials of the
Faithful", p.126-9, and "Eminent Baha'is in the time of Baha'u'llah"
p.266-8.

Hope this information helps. ahang rabbani.

rabbana@bmoa.dnet.dupont.com