The early nineteenth century was a period of messianic
expectations in many lands. Deeply disturbed by the implications of scientific
inquiry and industrialization, earnest believers from many religious
backgrounds turned to the scriptures of their faiths for an understanding of
the accelerating processes of change. In Europe and America groups like the
Templers and the Millerites believed they had found in the Christian scriptures
evidence supporting their conviction that history had ended and the return of
Jesus Christ was at hand. A markedly similar ferment developed in the Middle
East around the belief that the fulfillment of various prophecies in the Qur’án
and Islamic Traditions was imminent.
(From ‘Baha’u’llah, a brief introduction
to Bahá’u’lláh’s life and work', prepared at the request of the Universal House
of Justice by the Bahá’í International Community Office of Public Information
and published in 1992.)
