(Some links are external to this page, however, so just observe the link location, which should be displayed at the bottom of your browser, before you click on the link. That way you can first determine whether the link will cause you to leave this page and load another. Leaving this page to load another may not be any problem at all depending on how your browser is configured. See technical notes to improve your computer's efficiency while using these pages. These notes tell you how to print this page, for example, to avoid white on white.)
- His Gospel would be preached everywhere on earth.
- The "Times of the Gentiles" would be fulfilled. (The Jews were first allowed to return to Israel under the "Edict of Toleration" in 1844.)
- All mankind would see the 'abomination of
desolation' foretold
by the Prophet Daniel. This is a reference to the "2300
Days" prophesy of Daniel*, each day
representing
a year from the time of the decree to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem
in
457 B.C. See http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/SAQ/saq-10.html#pg42
Another simplified explanation of this is found in the Appendix of Release the Sun (This book is available online by downloading OCEAN), which is like a miniature version of "Thief in the Night" by the same author.
Every sincere seeker must pray not to fall into the category referred to in the following verse: "for I will work a work in your days which ye will not believe, though it be told unto you." Bible: Habakkuk 1:5 and Acts 13:41
"He that hath an ear, let him hear. . . " Bible: Book of Revelation 2:17
Although the following verses of Christ are not commonly regarded as a reference to His "return" (even though the Christ Spirit is designated as the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of Truth), a closer examination will reveal that this "Spirit of Truth," must "come" embodied in a Person.
"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him. . . . (John 14:16-17)
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: (John 15:26)
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (John 16:7)
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you." (John 16:12-15)
". . . In some passages in the
Holy
Books the Spirit is spoken of, signifying a
certain
person, as it is currently said in speech and conversation that such
a person is an embodied spirit, or he is a personification of
mercy
and generosity. In this case, it is the light we look at, and not
the glass.
In the Gospel of John, in
speaking
of the Promised One Who was to come after Christ, it is said in chapter
16, verses 12, 13: 'I have yet many
things
to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He,
the
Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for
He
shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall
hear, that shall He speak.'
Now consider carefully that
from these words, 'for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He
shall
hear, that shall He speak,' it is
clear
that the Spirit of truth is embodied in a Man Who has
individuality,
Who has ears to hear and a tongue
to speak. In the same way the name 'Spirit of God' is used
in relation to Christ, as you speak of a light, meaning both the light
and the lamp." (`Abdu'l-Baha: Some Answered
Questions,
Pages: 108-109)
Broader Context for the Same Bible Prophesy about
the "Return"
"A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. Then said [some] of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith. Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? . . .These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father." (John 16:16-28)
"In that day you will ask me no questions."(John 16:23) I shall show you plainly... (John 16:28)
The verse, "shall show you
plainly
of the Father," is a reference to the "unsealed
books,"
and the language of plain speech to be used in the new Revelation (at
the
time of the "return"). Notice
that these sequences of prophesies in the 16th Chapter of the Gospel of
John, beginning with Christ's promise of the coming Comforter in the
7th
verse, His renaming the Comforter the "Spirit of Truth" in the 14th and
15th chapters, and then discussing this coming of "another" in the
context
of His own "return," all mean one and the same thing. Christ
declares
that He has more to say
to us through the "coming of another," who will "take of His and show
it
unto us." Baha'u'llah
tells us, therefore, that Christ's own return
and the coming of "another" refer
to the same event. This is confirmed by the Bible's
declaration
that Christ would return with a "new name," and that His followers
would
also be called by the new name. ".
.
.I will write upon him my new name."
(The
Revelation of Saint John 3:12)
(Also see Rev.
2:17 and Isaiah
62:2.)
Again, the verse, "shall show you plainly of the Father," is a reference to the "unsealed books," and the language of plain speech in the new Revelation -- the Revelation of Baha'u'llah. The "Comforter," Baha'u'llah reveals, is a reference to Himself.
Again, the language of
scripture
has sealed or hidden this meaning until this new
Day.
This is no surprise. The Bible declares that the new name of
Christ
would be hidden, except to those who received it -- except to those who
believed in Him, in the time of His return.
". . . in the stone a new name
written,
which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth
it."
(Rev.
2:17)
The following verses show us that the word "stone" or "rock" (in Rev. 2:17 above) is a reference to Christ -- the same symbol referring to Christ at the time His "second coming" as well as His first.
". . . a stumblingstone and rock of offense: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (Romans 9:33)
". . . that rock was Christ." (1st Corinthians 10:4)
". . .To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious. . ." (1st Peter 2:4)
(Also see Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Acts 4:11, which refer to Psalm 118:22-23 and Isaiah 28:16)
Likewise, the "hidden manna (bread)" in the same prophesy (Rev. 2:17) is a direct reference to the Word of God (Christ) at the time of His return. For example, Christ's own words in the Book of John (6:31), refer to Himself as the "manna" at the time of the "first" coming. In the second coming, Rev. 2:17 says this spiritual food will be "hidden" except "to him who overcometh." Here is the Biblical basis for the interpretation:
Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: `He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread." Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6:31-35)
The Baha'i teachings accord
with
Christian Biblical teachings:
We have already mentioned (above),
that the Gospel of John, Chapter 16, verses 12 and 13, designates the
Promised
One Who was to come after Christ as the "Spirit of Truth." Indeed
the Spirit of Truth is the Holy Spirit, and it was this Spirit which
descended
upon the Apostles at Pentecost (Acts 2). While it is true that
the Holy
Spirit is independent of bodily form, it is also true that the Holy
Spirit animated Christ and thus became "manifest"
in physical form -- "the Word made flesh."
In like manner, the prophesy of the "second coming," John 16:12-13
refers
to the condition in which the Spirit appears in a man, speaking with
authority.
Based on my own understanding of the Baha'i Writings, I will attempt to
support the Baha'i view of the station of Christ as both God
and
man, beginning with five Biblical texts. The fifth
text, along with some of my own comments, explains how John
16:12-13
refers to a "man" with "ears to hear and a
tongue
to speak."
First:
CHRIST AS GOD
"He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. .
."
(John 14:9)
"And whoever sees me sees Him who sent me." (John
12:45)
Second:
CHRIST AS MESSENGER
(someone "sent" by "another")
"My food is to do the will of him who sent me
and to complete his work." (John 4:34)
"I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me." ". . .the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me." (John 5:30-36)
". . .for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me." (John 6:38)
Then Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not mine but His who sent me. (John 7:16)
Third:
JESUS WAS A MAN (as
a being other than God)
". . .and being found in fashion as a man. . .
(Philippians
2:8)
. . .Christ Jesus, himself human. . ." (1 Timothy 2:5)
"Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone." (Luke 18:19 and Mark 10:18)
"So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, 'You are my Son, today I have begotten you'" (Hebrews 5:5)
"And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape." (John 5:37)
Comment:Fourth:
The Jesus who was tempted by Satan was not God. God cannot be tempted. A temptation is meaningful only if the person being tempted is vulnerable to the temptation and conquers that vulnerability. Only a man can be vulnerable, especially to an evil influence. Only the human side of Jesus could have been subject to such temptation (though He was created to withstand it), not the Christ Spirit within Him. Moreover, Jesus was called the "Son" (even the "son of man") to distinguish Him from the "Father"-- God.A more detailed explanation of the "Sonship" of Christ is found in the writings of Abdu'l-Baha, in book called Some Answered Questions. For example:
". . . In the Gospel it is said that a man came to Christ and called Him 'Good Master.' Christ answered, 'Why callest thou Me good? there is none good but One, that is, God.' This did not mean -- God forbid! -- that Christ was a sinner; but the intention was to teach submission, humility, meekness and modesty to the man to whom He spoke. These Holy Beings [the Manifestations of God] are lights, and light does not unite itself with darkness. They are life, and life and death are not confounded. They are for guidance, and guidance and error cannot be together. They are the essence of obedience, and obedience cannot exist with rebellion. . .
Salutations be upon you." (`Abdu'l-Baha: Some Answered Questions, pp: 169-171)
CHRIST IS THE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MAN (the Intermediary)
"For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human. . ." (1 Timothy 2:5)
"Now a mediator involves more than one party; but God is one." (Galatians 3:20)
"But Jesus has now obtained a more excellent ministry, and to that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted through better promises." (Hebrews 8:6)
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except throughMe." (John 14:6)
Abdu'l Baha's explanation of the necessity for an intermediary is below (also see my explanation of the need for an intermediary which also links back to this page).Fifth:(click here to go back to above explanation of Abdu'l-Baha)
GOD IS THE SPEAKER -- JESUS WAS IN THE CONDITION OF A LISTENER
Christ describes his own condition as a "listener" to the Spirit of God within Him in these words: "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." (John 5:30)
Notice that the words from John 16:12-13 describe
the
same very same condition for the Promised One as that which Jesus uses
to describe Himself -- i.e., as one who "hears:"
". . .He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever
He shall hear,
that shall He speak."
Now, one must ask, if this verse were not referring to a Man in the station, or condition, of a listener -- if this blessed verse were referring to the Holy Spirit not embodied in a man -- then what need would He have to listen to anyone? Does the Spirit of God need to listen to anyone? The Spirit of God is the speaker. This verse describes, as Abdu'l-Baha has explained, "a Man Who has individuality, Who has ears to hear and a tongue to speak."
Jesus Christ was animated by the Spirit of God. When we speak of the Christ Spirit we refer to that Holy Spirit which revealed the Word of God through His chosen Mouthpiece. Christ appeared in this station of the Mouthpiece, or as the "Manifestation" of God, and thus spoke with the Voice of God Himself. At other times, Christ (Jesus) spoke as a man with such sayings as, "I do nothing on my own authority except by the will of Him who sent me." He called Himself the Son so as to distinguish Himself from the Father, even saying, "the Father is greater than I." Thus, the Manifestation of God is in two conditions, sometimes speaking as the "man" and sometimes speaking with the Voice of God Himself -- the Voice of Divinity.(click here to see a fuller explanation of "...the divergent utterances of the Manifestations..." so that they "...may cease to agitate the soul and perplex the mind.")
The Books are "Sealed and Unsealed"
"Go thy way, Daniel: for the words [are] closed up
and sealed till the time of the end." (Daniel 12:4-10)
'Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?' (Revelation 5:2-4)
The Holy Books have been "unsealed" through the Revelation of Baha'u'llah, in fulfillment of the prophesies of all the Dispensations of the past. The Revelation of Baha'u'llah comes fulfilling the prophesy of the "end time," in which the books would have their hidden meanings revealed, through plain language. Prior to the possibility of that fulfillment -- that is, before the appearance of the Promised One -- anyone offering up his own interpretations as authoritative was in direct violation of the scriptural warnings against doing so. Both the Old and the New Testament warn against "man" interpreting the texts, on his own authority (see section below). Such interpretation is prohibited. Yet many divines (clergy) have offered authoritative interpretations without first making the claim that they have the authority.
Moreover, the conditions for making the claim of divine authority are spelled out clearly in the Biblical scriptures, as well as certain punishments for this ultimate false claim (click here to see "criteria of Moses," below). For example, read Numbers 12:2-10, wherein Miriam, the sister of Moses, is punished for assuming that she could speak for God.
Miriam asks, ". . . hath he not spoken also by us?. . . ."In short, no one is authorized to represent the Word of God, except the Prophet Himself. The Holy Books and prophesies were to remain "sealed" until "one who is worthy" comes to "unseal" the hidden meanings, "at the end of the age."
And God answers, "If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision. . . With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?"
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them. . . and Miriam became leprous, white as snow. . . .
-
"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. . . .
And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what [shall be] the end of these [things]? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words [are] closed up and sealed till the time of the end. (Daniel 12:4-10)
Similarly the verses in Isaiah 29:11--- "When men give it to one who can read, saying, 'read this,' he says, 'I cannot, for it is sealed.'" Also, in Isaiah 6:9-10-- "...make the ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed."
-
"And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud
voice,
'Who is worthy to open the
book,
and to loose the seals
thereof?'
And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open
and to read the book, neither to look thereon." (Revelation 5:2-4)
-
"I was about to write: and I heard a voice from
heaven
saying unto me, Seal up those
things
which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not."
(Revelation 10:4)
"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. . ." (Revelation 22:18)
"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish [ought] from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." (Deuteronomy 4:2) (Note: The Jews used this verse to oppose Christ's claim to speak the Word of God in His day. This verse forbids the followers of the Book from "adding to" or "taking away from" the Book, but did not prevent God from sending His next Messenger, the Christ. Likewise in the New Testament, Revelation 22:18 prohibits the Christian believers from adding new meaning to Word of God. Neither verse means that God cannot speak to us through another "Manifestation," however.)
EXAMPLE of the need for authority:
The above Biblical verse (John 16:12-13) has for
many,
many years been interpreted by Christians to refer to the Holy
Spirit.
While the Baha'i Writings accord with this understanding that the
Spirit
of Truth refers to the Holy Spirit, a further condition is required to
explain the condition of "for He shall not speak
of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak."
As stated, this verse refers to a Man, in the condition of a
listener.
If the verse referred only to the Spirit of God as the speaker, what
need
would there be for Him to listen to anyone? (below).
This new interpretation from the Revelation of Baha'u'llah (the Prophet or Messenger of God for this Day) comes fulfilling the prophecy of the "end time," in which the books would have their hidden meanings revealed, through plain language and with Divine authority.
How
Shall
We Know Who Has this Authority?
The criteria of Moses will
suffice:
Thus, if a Prophet claims to speak in the name of
God -- if He claims Divine authority -- and the things He proclaims DO
"come to pass," then we should "fear God" and follow that Prophet. "...whosoever
will not hearken" -- whosoever will not
listen
to the words which the Prophet speaks with Divine authority, God will
hold
him accountable for his failure to do so.
No
one
can make the claim to be a Messenger of God without proofs, nor can He
accomplish His designs without the permission of God. Moses said
that a man cannot bring forth a good teaching if he makes the
extraordinary
and bold claim that his teaching is a Revelation direct from God ("face
to face"). God will stop him. It doesn't happen.
However,
a good man with an inspired teaching can suceed in promoting it, so
long
as he does not make the great claim that God has spoken it through him.
One of the greatest proofs of
Baha'u'llah
is the removal of the kings and rulers of the earth. He wrote
tablets to them, outlining the process whereby peace could be
established
on earth, and warned them if they did not turn to Him and heed His
message.
Two of these kings were the very ones that had him in prison. Every one
of the kings, dynasties and royal houses is gone except the one that
responded
favorably to His letter. Napoleon III, the most powerful monarch
in Europe at the time, cast the tablet of Baha'u'llah behind his back
saying,
"if this is from God, I am two gods." Baha'u'llah wrote him
again,
telling him that He had seen what he had done, and that for rejecting
His
Message his empire would be thrown into confusion and fall from his
hands.
Within less than a year Napoleon was captured at the battle of Sedan
(1870),
and lived in exile for the rest of his life. His Prussian
conqueror,
head of the Hohenzollern family that had led Germany since the 12th
century,
met the same fate and found his own kingdom evaporating when he, too,
rejected
Baha'u'llah. You can read about these kingdoms that disappeared
practically
overnight, after existing for generations, in William Sears' Book, The
Prisoner and the Kings. You can actually read the original
texts
of Baha'u'llah's Epistles to the kings and rulers. (See Proclamations
of Baha'u'llah at http://sunsite.unc.edu/Bahai/Texts/English/PB/)
Baha'u'llah said that part of His mission was to seize power from kings
and ecclesiastics and give it to the people. Since then the world
has become increasingly democratic. More of His prophesies we
should
see fulfilled in our lifetime, including a lasting peace among the
nations
-- some form of binding international legal system or world government
(Isaiah 9:6 ". . .and the government shall be upon His shoulder").
The
Proof of Moses was His Staff ---
The proof of this Prisoner of
Akka
(Baha'u'llah) was His Pen
"Could such a thing," exclaims Baha'u'llah, "be made manifest except through the power of a Divine Revelation and the potency of God's invincible Will? By the righteousness of God! Were any one to entertain so great a Revelation in his heart the thought of such a declaration would alone confound him! Were the hearts of all men to be crowded into his heart, he would still hesitate to venture upon so awful an enterprise." "No eye," He in another passage affirms, "hath beheld so great an outpouring of bounty, nor hath any ear heard of such a Revelation of loving-kindness... The Prophets `endowed with constancy,' whose loftiness and glory shine as the sun, were each honored with a Book which all have seen, and the verses of which have been duly ascertained. Whereas the verses which have rained from this Cloud of divine mercy have been so abundant that none hath yet been able to estimate their number... How can they belittle this Revelation? Hath any age witnessed such momentous happenings?"
The independent Prophets are the lawgivers and the founders of a new cycle. They are like the sun which is luminous in itself: the light is its essential necessity; it does not receive light from any other star. . . .
The other Prophets are followers and promoters, for they are branches and not independent; they receive the bounty of the independent Prophets, and they profit by the light of the Guidance of the universal Prophets. They are like the moon, which is not luminous and radiant in itself, but receives its light from the sun.
The Manifestations of universal Prophethood Who appeared independently are, for example, Abraham, Moses, Christ, Muhammad, the Bab and Baha'u'llah. But the others who are followers and promoters are like Solomon, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel....
This people, all of them, have pictured a god in the realm of the mind, and worship that image which they have made for themselves. And yet that image is comprehended, the human mind being the comprehender thereof, and certainly the comprehender is greater than that which lieth within its grasp; for imagination is but the branch, while mind is the root; and certainly the root is greater than the branch. Consider then, how all the peoples of the world are bowing the knee to a fancy of their own contriving, how they have created a creator within their own minds, and they call it the Fashioner of all that is -- whereas in truth it is but an illusion. Thus are the people worshipping only an error of perception.
But that Essence of Essences, that Invisible of Invisibles, is sanctified above all human speculation, and never to be overtaken by the mind of man. Never shall that immemorial Reality lodge within the compass of a contingent being. His is another realm, and of that realm no understanding can be won. No access can be gained thereto; all entry is forbidden there. The utmost one can say is that Its existence can be proved, but the conditions of Its existence are unknown.
That such an Essence doth exist, the philosophers and learned doctors one and all have understood; but whenever they tried to learn something of Its being, they were left bewildered and dismayed, and at the end, despairing, their hopes in ruins, they went their way, out of this life. For to comprehend the state and the inner mystery of that Essence of Essences, that Most Secret of Secrets, one needs must have another power and other faculties; and such a power, such faculties would be more than humankind can bear, wherefore no word of Him can come to them.
If, for example, one be endowed with the senses of hearing, of taste, of smell, of touch - but be deprived of the sense of sight, it will not be possible for one to gaze about; for sight cannot be realized through hearing or tasting, or the sense of smell or touch. In the same way, with the faculties at man's disposal it is beyond the realm of possibility for him to grasp that unseeable Reality, holy and sanctified above all the sceptics' doubts. For this, other faculties are required, other senses; should such powers become available to him, then could a human being receive some knowledge of that world; otherwise, never."
Manifestation and Incarnation
(The word "incarnation" is not in the Bible.)
Teachings on the "Station" of the Manifestation of God
“… Christ [Jesus] …Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” (Holy Bible, 1 Peter 1:20)
“I have manifested Thy name unto the men ....” (Holy Bible, John 17:6 )
“. . . . I will . . . manifest myself. . . ” (Holy Bible, John 14:21)
"The divinity attributed to so great a Being and the complete incarnation of the names and attributes of God in so exalted a Person should, under no circumstances, be misconceived or misinterpreted..." (Shoghi Effendi, WOB 112)
"Know
thou of a certainty that the Unseen can
in no wise incarnate His Essence and
reveal it
unto men. He is, and hath ever been, immensely exalted beyond all
that can either be recounted or perceived. From His retreat of
glory
His voice is ever proclaiming: "Verily, I am God; there is none
other
God besides Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. I
have manifested Myself unto men, and have sent down Him Who is the Day
Spring of the signs of My Revelation.
Through Him I have caused all creation to testify that there is none
other
God except Him, the Incomparable, the All-Informed, the All-Wise." He
Who
is everlastingly hidden
from the eyes of men can never be known except through His
Manifestation,
and His Manifestation can adduce no greater proof of the truth of His
Mission
than the proof of His own Person.
. . . .The door of the knowledge of the Ancient Being hath ever been,
and
will continue for ever to be, closed in the face of men. No man's
understanding shall ever gain access unto His holy court. As
a token of His mercy, however, and as a proof of His loving-kindness,
He
hath manifested unto men the Day Stars of His divine guidance, the
Symbols
of His divine unity, and hath ordained the knowledge of these
sanctified
Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self.
Whoso recognizeth them hath recognized God. Whoso hearkeneth to
their
call, hath hearkened to the Voice of God, and whoso testifieth to the
truth
of their Revelation, hath testified to the truth of God Himself.
Whoso turneth away from them, hath turned away from God, and whoso
disbelieveth
in them, hath disbelieved in God. Every one of them is the Way of God
that
connecteth this world with the realms above, and the Standard of His
Truth
unto every one in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. They
are the Manifestations of God amidst men,
the evidences of His Truth, and the signs of His glory."
. . .The second station is the human station, exemplified by the following verses: "I am but a man like you."
"Let no one
meditating, in the light of the afore-quoted passages, on the nature of
the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, mistake its character or
misconstrue the intent of its Author. The
divinity attributed to so great a Being and
the complete incarnation of the names and
attributes of God in so exalted a Person should, under no
circumstances, be misconceived or misinterpreted. The human
temple that has been made the
vehicle of so overpowering a
Revelation must, if we be faithful to the tenets of our Faith, ever
remain entirely distinguished from that "innermost Spirit of Spirits" and
"eternal Essence of Essences" --
that invisible yet rational God Who, however much we extol the divinity
of His Manifestations on earth, can in no wise incarnate His infinite,
His unknowable, His incorruptible and all-embracing Reality in the
concrete and limited frame of a mortal being. Indeed, the God Who could so incarnate His
own
reality would, in the light of the teachings of
Bahá'u'lláh, cease immediately to be God. So crude and fantastic a theory of Divine
incarnation is as removed from, and incompatible with, the essentials
of Bahá'í belief as are the no less inadmissible
pantheistic and anthropomorphic conceptions of God -- both of which the
utterances of Bahá'u'lláh emphatically repudiate and the
fallacy of which they expose.
He Who in unnumbered passages claimed His utterance
to be the "Voice of Divinity,
the Call of
God Himself" thus solemnly
affirms in the Kitáb-i-Íqán: "To every discerning
and illumined heart it is evident that God, the unknowable Essence, the
Divine Being, is immeasurably exalted beyond every human attribute such
as corporeal existence, ascent and descent, egress and regress... He
is, and hath ever been, veiled in the ancient eternity of His Essence,
and will remain in His Reality
everlastingly hidden from the sight of men... He standeth exalted beyond and above
all separation and union, all proximity and remoteness... 'God was
alone; there was none else beside Him' is a sure testimony of this
truth."
"From time
immemorial,"
Bahá'u'lláh, speaking of God, explains,
"He, the Divine Being, hath been veiled in the ineffable sanctity of
His exalted Self, and will everlasting continue to be wrapt in the
impenetrable mystery of His unknowable Essence... Ten thousand Prophets, each a Moses, are
thunderstruck
upon the Sinai of their search at God's forbidding voice, 'Thou shalt
never behold Me!'; whilst a myriad Messengers, each as great as Jesus,
stand dismayed upon their heavenly thrones by the interdiction 'Mine Essence thou shalt never apprehend!'" "How bewildering to me, insignificant as I
am," Bahá'u'lláh in His communion with God affirms, "is
the attempt to fathom the sacred depths of Thy knowledge! How futile my
efforts to visualize the magnitude of the power inherent in Thine
handiwork -- the revelation of Thy creative power!" "When I
contemplate, O my God, the relationship that bindeth me to Thee," He, in yet another prayer revealed in His own
handwriting, testifies, "I am moved to proclaim to all created things
'verily I am God!'; and when I consider my own self, lo, I find it
coarser than clay!"
'The door of the knowledge of the Ancient of Days,'
Bahá'u'lláh further states in the
Kitáb-i-Íqán, 'being thus closed in the face of
all beings, He, the Source of infinite grace ... hath caused those luminous Gems of Holiness
to appear
out of the realm of the spirit, in the noble form of the human temple,
and be made manifest unto all men, that they may impart unto the world
the mysteries of the unchangeable Being and tell of the subtleties of
His imperishable Essence... All
the Prophets of God, His
well-favored, His holy and chosen Messengers are, without exception,
the bearers of His names and the embodiments of His attributes... These
Tabernacles of Holiness, these primal Mirrors which reflect the Light
of unfading glory, are but expressions of Him Who is the Invisible of
the Invisibles.'
That Bahá'u'lláh should,
notwithstanding the overwhelming intensity of His Revelation, be
regarded as essentially one of these Manifestations of God, never to be identified with that invisible
Reality, the Essence of Divinity itself, is one of the major beliefs of our Faith -- a belief
which should never be obscured and the integrity of which no one of its
followers should allow to be compromised." (Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 112)
In the above passage, in relation to
Bahá'u'lláh, the Guardian wrote that the "human temple that has been the vehicle of so
overpowering a Revelation" is not
to be identified with the "Reality" of God. Concerning the uniqueness of
Bahá'u'lláh's station and the greatness of His
Revelation, Shoghi Effendi affirms that the prophetic statements
concerning the "Day of God", found in the Sacred Scriptures of past
Dispensations, are fulfilled by the advent of Bahá'u'lláh:
To Israel He was neither more nor less than the incarnation of the "Everlasting Father", the "Lord of Hosts" come down "with ten thousands of saints"; to Christendom Christ returned "in the glory of the Father"; to Shí'ah Islam the return of the Imam Husayn; to Sunni Islam the descent of the "Spirit of God" (Jesus Christ); to the Zoroastrians the promised Shah-Bahram; to the Hindus the reincarnation of Krishna; to the Buddhists the fifth Buddha.
Bahá'u'lláh describes the station of "Divinity" which He shares with all the Manifestations of God as
...the station in which one dieth to himself and liveth in God. Divinity, whenever I mention it, indicateth My complete and absolute self-effacement. This is the station in which I have no control over mine own weal or woe nor over my life nor over my resurrection.
And, regarding His own relationship to God, He testifies:
When I contemplate, O my God, the relationship that bindeth me to Thee, I am moved to proclaim to all created things "verily I am God"; and when I consider my own self, lo, I find it coarser than clay!
To every discerning and illuminated heart it is evident that God, the unknowable Essence, the Divine Being, is immensely exalted beyond every human attribute, such as corporeal existence, ascent and descent, egress and regress. Far be it from His glory that human tongue should adequately recount His praise, or that human heart comprehend His fathomless mystery. He is, and hath ever been, veiled in the ancient eternity of His Essence, and will remain in His Reality everlastingly hidden from the sight of men. "No vision taketh in Him, but He taketh in all vision; He is the Subtile, the All-Perceiving."...
The door of the knowledge of
the Ancient of Days being thus closed in the face of all beings, the
Source
of infinite grace, according to His saying, "His grace hath transcended
all things; My grace hath encompassed them all," hath caused those
luminous Gems
of Holiness to appear out of the realm of the spirit, in the noble form
of the human temple, and be made manifest unto all men,
that they may impart unto the world the mysteries of the unchangeable
Being,
and tell of the subtleties of His imperishable Essence.
These sanctified Mirrors, these Day Springs of ancient glory, are, one and all, the Exponents on earth of Him Who is the central Orb of the universe, its Essence and ultimate Purpose. From Him proceed their knowledge and power; from Him is derived their sovereignty. The beauty of their countenance is but a reflection of His image, and their revelation a sign of His deathless glory. They are the Treasuries of Divine knowledge, and the Repositories of celestial wisdom. Through them is transmitted a grace that is infinite, and by them is revealed the Light that can never fade.... These Tabernacles of Holiness, these Primal Mirrors which reflect the light of unfading glory, are but expressions of Him Who is the Invisible of the Invisibles. By the revelation of these Gems of Divine virtue all the names and attributes of God, such as knowledge and power, sovereignty and dominion, mercy and wisdom, glory, bounty, and grace, are made manifest.(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p.46-48)
On the Proceeding of the Human Spirit from God
Question.
- In the Bible it is said that God breathed the spirit into the body of
man. What is the meaning of this verse?
Answer.
- Know that proceeding is of two kinds: the proceeding and
appearance
through emanation,
and the proceeding and appearance through manifestation.
The
proceeding through emanation is like the
coming
forth of the action from the actor, of the writing from the writer.
Now
the writing emanates from the writer, and the discourse emanates from
the
speaker, and in the same way the human spirit emanates from God.
It is not that it manifests God -- that is to say, no part has been
detached
from the Divine Reality to enter the body of man. No, as the
discourse
emanates from the speaker, the spirit appears in the body of man.
But
the proceeding
through manifestation is the manifestation of the reality of a thing in
other forms, like the coming forth of this
tree from the seed of the tree, or the coming forth of the flower from
the seed of the flower, for it is the seed itself which appears in the
form of the branches, leaves and flowers. This is called the
proceeding
through manifestation. The spirits of men, with reference to God,
have dependence through emanation, just as the discourse proceeds from
the speaker and the writing from the writer - that is to say, the
speaker
himself does not become the discourse, nor does the writer himself
become
the writing; no, rather they have the proceeding of emanation. The
speaker
has perfect ability and power, and the discourse emanates from him, as
the action does from the actor. The Real Speaker, the Essence of
Unity, has always been in one condition, which neither changes nor
alters,
has neither transformation nor vicissitude. He is the Eternal,
the
Immortal. Therefore, the proceeding of the human spirits from God
is through emanation. When it is said in the Bible that God
breathed
His spirit into man, this spirit is that which, like the discourse,
emanates
from the Real Speaker, taking effect in the reality of man.
But
the proceeding
through manifestation (if by this is
meant
the divine appearance, and not division into parts), we have said, is
the
proceeding and the appearance of the Holy Spirit and the Word, which is
from God. As it is said in the Gospel of John,"In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God";
then the Holy Spirit and the Word are the appearance of God. The
Spirit and the Word mean the divine perfections that appeared in the
Reality
of Christ, and these perfections were with God; so the sun manifests
all
its glory in the mirror. For the Word does not signify the body
of
Christ, no, but the divine perfections manifested in Him. For
Christ was like a clear mirror which was facing the Sun of Reality; and
the perfections of the Sun of Reality -- that is to say, its light and
heat -- were visible and apparent in this mirror.
If we look into the mirror, we see the sun, and we say, "It is the
sun." Therefore,
the Word and the Holy Spirit, which signify the perfections of God, are
the divine appearance. This is the meaning of the verse in the
Gospel
which says: "The Word was with God,
and the Word was God"; for the divine
perfections
are not different from the Essence of Oneness. The perfections of
Christ are called the Word because all the beings are in the condition
of letters, and one letter has not a complete meaning, while the
perfections
of Christ have the power of the word because a complete meaning can be
inferred from a word. As the Reality of Christ was the
manifestation
of the divine perfections, therefore, it was like the word. Why?
because He is the sum of perfect meanings. This is why He is
called
the Word.
And know
that the proceeding of the Word and the Holy Spirit from God, which is
the proceeding and appearance of manifestation, must not be understood
to mean that the Reality of Divinity had been divided into parts, or
multiplied,
or that it had descended from the exaltation of holiness and
purity.
God forbid! If a pure, fine mirror
faces
the sun, the light and heat, the form and the image of the sun will be
resplendent in it with such manifestation that if a beholder says of
the
sun, which is brilliant and visible in the mirror, "This is the sun,"
it
is true. Nevertheless, the mirror is the mirror, and the sun is
the
sun. The One Sun, even if it appears in numerous mirrors, is one.This
state is neither abiding nor entering, neither commingling nor
descending;
for entering, abiding, descending, issuing forth and commingling are
the
necessities and characteristics of bodies, not of spirits; then how
much
less do they belong to the sanctified and pure Reality of God.
God
is exempt from all that is not in accordance with His purity and His
exalted
and sublime sanctity.
The
Sun
of Reality, as we have said, has always been in one condition; it has
no
change, no alteration, no transformation and no vicissitude. It
is
eternal and everlasting. But the Holy Reality of the Word of God
is in the condition of the pure, fine and shining mirror; the heat, the
light, the image and likeness -- that is to say, the perfections of the
Sun of Reality -- appear in it. That
is why Christ says in the Gospel, "The Father is in the Son" -- that is
to say, the Sun of Reality appears in the mirror.
Praise be to the One Who shone upon this Holy Reality, Who is
sanctified
among the beings!
Baha'i Teachings on the "Station" of the Manifestation of God
"By virtue of this station they have claimed for themselves the Voice of Divinity and the like, whilst by virtue of their station of Messengership, they have declared themselves the Messengers of God. In every instance they have voiced an utterance that would conform to the requirements of the occasion, and have ascribed all these declarations to Themselves, declarations ranging from the realm of Divine Revelation to the realm of creation, and from the domain of Divinity even unto the domain of earthly existence. Thus it is that whatsoever be their utterance, whether it pertain to the realm of Divinity, Lordship, Prophethood, Messengership, Guardianship, Apostleship, or Servitude, all is true, beyond the shadow of a doubt. Therefore these sayings which We have quoted in support of Our argument must be attentively considered, that the divergent utterances of the Manifestations of the Unseen and Day Springs of Holiness may cease to agitate the soul and perplex the mind."
Know
that
the Holy Manifestations, though They have the degrees of endless
perfections,
yet, speaking generally, have only three stations. The first
station is the physical; the second
station is the human, which is
that
of the rational soul; the third is
that
of the divine appearance and the
heavenly
splendor.
The physical
station is phenomenal; it is
composed
of elements, and necessarily everything that is composed is subject to
decomposition. It is not possible that a composition should not
be
disintegrated.
The second
is the station of the rational soul,
which is the human reality. This also is phenomenal, and the Holy
Manifestations share it with all mankind.
Know
that,
although the human soul has existed on the earth for prolonged times
and
ages, yet it is phenomenal. As it is a divine sign, when once it has
come
into existence, it is eternal. The spirit of man has a beginning,
but it has no end; it continues eternally. In the same way the
species
existing on this earth are phenomenal, for it is established that there
was a time when these species did not exist on the surface of the
earth.
Moreover, the earth has not always existed, but the world of existence
has always been, for the universe is not limited to this terrestrial
globe.
The meaning of this is that, although human souls are phenomenal, they
are nevertheless immortal, everlasting and perpetual; for the world of
things is the world of imperfection in comparison with that of man, and
the world of man is the world of perfection in comparison with that of
things. When imperfections reach the station of perfection, they
become eternal. This is an example of which you must comprehend
the
meaning.
The
third station is that of the divine appearance and heavenly
splendor:
it is the Word of God, the Eternal Bounty, the Holy Spirit.
It has neither beginning nor end, for these things are related to the
world
of contingencies and not to the divine world. For God the end is
the same thing as the beginning. So the reckoning of days, weeks,
months and years, of yesterday and today, is connected with the
terrestrial
globe; but in the sun there is no such thing - there is neither
yesterday,
today nor tomorrow, neither months nor years: all are
equal.
In the same way the Word of God is purified from all these conditions
and
is exempt from the boundaries, the laws and the limits of the world of
contingency. Therefore, the reality of prophethood, which is the
Word of God and the perfect state of manifestation, did not have any
beginning
and will not have any end; its rising is different from all others and
is like that of the sun. For example, its dawning in the sign of
Christ was with the utmost splendor and radiance, and this is eternal
and
everlasting. See how many conquering kings there have been, how
many
statesmen and princes, powerful organizers, all of whom have
disappeared,
whereas the breezes of Christ are still blowing; His light is still
shining;
His melody is still resounding; His standard is still waving; His
armies
are still fighting; His heavenly voice is still sweetly melodious; His
clouds are still showering gems; His lightning is still flashing; His
reflection
is still clear and brilliant; His splendor is still radiating and
luminous;
and it is the same with those souls who are under His protection and
are
shining with His light.
Then
it
is evident that the Manifestations possess three conditions: the
physical condition, the condition of the rational soul, and the
condition
of the divine appearance and heavenly splendor. The physical
condition
will certainly become decomposed, but the condition of the rational
soul,
though it has a beginning, has no end: nay, it is endowed with
everlasting
life. But the Holy Reality, of which Christ says, "The
Father is in the Son," has neither
beginning
nor end. When beginning is spoken of, it signifies the state of
manifesting;
and, symbolically, the condition of silence is compared to sleep.
For example, a man is sleeping -- when he begins to speak, he is awake
-- but it is always the same individual, whether he be asleep or awake;
no difference has occurred in his station, his elevation, his glory,
his
reality or his nature. The state of silence is compared to sleep,
and that of manifestation to wakefulness. A man sleeping or
waking
is the same man; sleep is one state, and wakefulness is another.
The time of silence is compared to sleep, and manifestation and
guidance
are compared to wakefulness.
In the
Gospel it is said, "In the beginning was
the
Word, and the Word was with God."
Then
it is evident and clear that Christ did not reach to the station of
Messiahship
and its perfections at the time of baptism, when the Holy Spirit
descended
upon Him in the likeness of a dove. Nay, the Word of God from all
eternity has always been, and will be, in the exaltation of
sanctification.
(Abdu'l-Baha: Some
Answered Questions, Pages: 151-153)
The
Divine
Reality is Unthinkable, Limitless, Eternal, Immortal and Invisible.
The
world
of creation is bound by natural law, finite and mortal.
The
Infinite
Reality cannot be said to ascend or descend. It is beyond the
understanding
of man, and cannot be described in terms which apply to the phenomenal
sphere of the created world.
Man,
then,
is in extreme need of the only Power by which he is able to receive
help
from the Divine Reality, that Power alone bringing him into contact
with
the Source of all life.
An
intermediary is needed to bring two extremes into relation with each
other.
Riches and poverty, plenty and need: without an intermediary
power
there could be no relation between these pairs of opposites.
So
we can say there must be a Mediator between God and Man,
and this is none other than the Holy Spirit, which brings the created
earth
into relation with the `Unthinkable One', the Divine Reality.
The
Divine
Reality may be likened to the sun and the Holy Spirit to the rays of
the
sun. As the rays of the sun bring the light and warmth of the sun
to the earth, giving life to all created beings, so do the `Manifestations'
bring the power of the Holy Spirit from the Divine Sun of Reality to
give
light and life to the souls of men.
Behold,
there is an intermediary necessary between the sun and the earth; the
sun
does not descend to the earth, neither does the earth ascend to the
sun.
This contact is made by the rays of the sun which bring light and
warmth
and heat.
The
Holy
Spirit is the Light from the Sun of Truth bringing, by its infinite
power,
life and illumination to all mankind, flooding all souls with Divine
Radiance,
conveying the blessings of God's Mercy to the whole world. The
earth,
without the medium of the warmth and light of the rays of the sun,
could
receive no benefits from the sun.
Likewise
the Holy Spirit is the very cause of the life of man; without the Holy
Spirit he would have no intellect, he would be unable to acquire his
scientific
knowledge by which his great influence over the rest of creation is
gained.
The illumination of the Holy Spirit gives to man the power of thought,
and enables him to make discoveries by which he bends the laws of
nature
to his will.
The Holy
Spirit it is which, through the mediation of the Prophets of God,
teaches spiritual virtues to man and enables him to attain Eternal Life.
All
these
blessings are brought to man by the Holy Spirit; therefore we can
understand
that the Holy Spirit is the Intermediary between the Creator and the
created.
The light and heat of the sun cause the earth to be fruitful, and
create
life in all things that grow; and the Holy Spirit quickens the souls of
men.
The
two
great apostles, St Peter and St John the Evangelist, were once simple,
humble workmen, toiling for their daily bread. By the Power of
the
Holy Spirit their souls were illumined, and they received the eternal
blessings
of the Lord Christ.
Question.
- What is the meaning of the Trinity, of the Three Persons in One?
Answer.
- The Divine Reality, which is purified and sanctified from the
understanding
of human beings and which can never be imagined by the people of wisdom
and of intelligence, is exempt from all conception. That
Lordly Reality admits of no division; for division and multiplicity are
properties of creatures which are contingent existences, and not
accidents
which happen to the self-existent.
The
Divine
Reality is sanctified from singleness, then how much more from
plurality.
The descent of that Lordly Reality into conditions and degrees would be
equivalent to imperfection and contrary to perfection, and is,
therefore,
absolutely impossible. It perpetually has been, and is, in the
exaltation
of holiness and sanctity. All that
is
mentioned of the Manifestations and Dawning-places of God signifies the
divine reflection, and not a descent into the conditions of existence.
God is
pure perfection, and creatures are but imperfections. For God to
descend
into the conditions of existence would be the greatest of
imperfections;
on the contrary, His manifestation, His appearance, His rising are like
the reflection of the sun in a clear, pure, polished mirror. All
the creatures are evident signs of God, like the earthly beings upon
all
of which the rays of the sun shine. But upon the plains, the
mountains,
the trees and fruits, only a portion of the light shines, through which
they become visible, and are reared, and attain to the object of their
existence, while the Perfect Man is in
the
condition of a clear mirror in which the Sun of Reality becomes visible
and manifest with all its qualities and perfections.
So the Reality of Christ was a clear and polished mirror of the
greatest
purity and fineness. The Sun of Reality, the Essence of Divinity,
reflected itself in this mirror and manifested its light and heat in
it;
but from the exaltation of its holiness, and the heaven of its
sanctity,
the Sun did not descend to dwell and abide in the mirror. No, it
continues to subsist in its exaltation and sublimity, while appearing
and
becoming manifest in the mirror in beauty and perfection.
Now if
we say that we have seen the Sun in two mirrors -- one the Christ and
one
the Holy Spirit -- that is to say, that we have seen three Suns, one in
heaven and the two others on the earth, we speak truly. And if we
say that there is one Sun, and it is pure singleness, and has no
partner
and equal, we again speak truly.
The
epitome
of the discourse is that the Reality of Christ was a clear mirror, and
the Sun of Reality -- that is to say, the Essence of Oneness, with its
infinite perfections and attributes - became visible in the
mirror.
The meaning is not that the Sun, which is the Essence of the Divinity,
became divided and multiplied -- for the Sun is one -- but it appeared
in the mirror. This is why Christ said, "The Father is in the
Son,"
meaning that the Sun is visible and manifest in this mirror.
The
Holy
Spirit is the Bounty of God which becomes visible and evident in the
Reality
of Christ. The Sonship station is the heart of Christ, and the
Holy
Spirit is the station of the spirit of Christ. Hence it has
become
certain and proved that the Essence of Divinity is absolutely unique
and
has no equal, no likeness, no equivalent.
This
is
the signification of the Three Persons of the Trinity. If it were
otherwise, the foundations of the Religion of God would rest upon an
illogical
proposition which the mind could never conceive, and how can the mind
be
forced to believe a thing which it cannot conceive? A thing cannot be
grasped
by the intelligence except when it is clothed in an intelligible form;
otherwise, it is but an effort of the imagination.
It has
now become clear, from this explanation, what is the meaning of the
Three
Persons of the Trinity. The Oneness of God is also proved. (Some
Answered Questions, Pages: 113) Back to
Top of Page
Explanation of Bible Verse -- John 5:17
"And now,
O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self, with the glory which I
had
with Thee before the world was."
There
are two kinds of priorities: one is essential and is not preceded
by a cause, but its existence is in itself, as, for example, the sun
has
light in itself, for its shining is not dependent on the light of other
stars. This is called an essential light. But the light of
the moon is received from the sun, for the moon is dependent on the sun
for its light; therefore, the sun, with regard to light, is the cause,
and the moon becomes the effect. The former is the ancient, the
precedent,
the antecedent, while the latter is the preceded and the last.
The
second
sort of preexistence is the preexistence of time, and that has no
beginning.
The Word of God is sanctified from time. The past, the present,
the
future, all, in relation to God, are equal. Yesterday, today,
tomorrow
do not exist in the sun.
In the
same way there is a priority with regard to glory -- that is to say,
the
most glorious precedes the glorious. Therefore, the
Reality of Christ, Who is the Word of God, with regard to essence,
attributes
and glory, certainly precedes the creatures.
Before appearing in the human form, the Word of God was in the utmost
sanctity
and glory, existing in perfect beauty and splendor in the height of its
magnificence. When through the wisdom of God the Most High it
shone
from the heights of glory in the world of the body, the Word of God,
through
this body, became oppressed, so that it fell into the hands of the
Jews,
and became the captive of the tyrannical and ignorant, and at last was
crucified. That is why He addressed God, saying: "Free Me
from
the bonds of the world of the body, and liberate Me from this cage, so
that I may ascend to the heights of honor and glory, and attain unto
the
former grandeur and might which existed before the bodily world, that I
may rejoice in the eternal world and may ascend to the original abode,
the placeless world, the invisible kingdom."
It is
thus that you see even in the kingdom of this world -- that is to say,
in the realm of souls and countries -- that the glory and the grandeur
of Christ appeared in this earth after His ascension. When in the
world of the body He was subject to the contempt and jeers of the
weakest
nation of the world, the Jews, who thought it fitting to set a crown of
thorns upon His sacred head. But after His ascension the
bejeweled
crowns of all the kings were humbled and bowed before the crown of
thorns.
Behold
the glory that the Word of God attained even in this world!
". . .the perfect man,
the Prophet, is one who is transfigured, one who has the purity and
clearness
of a perfect mirror -- one who reflects the Sun of Truth. Of such
a one -- of such a Prophet and Messenger -- we can say that the Light
of Divinity with the heavenly Perfections dwells in him.
If we
claim that the sun is seen in the mirror, we do not mean that the sun
itself
has descended from the holy heights of his heaven and entered into the
mirror! This is impossible. The Divine Nature is seen in
the
Manifestations and its Light and Splendor are visible in extreme glory.
Therefore,
men have always been taught and led by the Prophets of God. The
Prophets of God are the Mediators of God. All the Prophets and
Messengers
have come from One Holy Spirit and bear the Message of God, fitted to
the
age in which they appear. The One
Light
is in them and they are One with each other. But the Eternal does
not become phenomenal; neither can the phenomenal become Eternal.
(Abdu'l-Baha in London, Pages: 23-24)
To man is given the special gift of the intellect by which he is able
to
receive a larger share of the light Divine. The Perfect Man is as
a polished mirror reflecting the Sun of Truth, manifesting the
attributes
of God.
The
Lord
Christ said, `He that hath seen Me hath
seen
the Father' -- God manifested in
man.
The sun does not leave his place in the heavens and descend into the
mirror,
for the actions of ascent and descent, coming and going, do not belong
to the Infinite, they are the methods of finite beings. In the
Manifestation
of God, the perfectly polished mirror, appear the qualities of the
Divine
in a form that man is capable of comprehending.
These mirrors are the Messengers of God Who tell the story of Divinity, just as the material mirror reflects the light and disc of the outer sun in the skies. In this way the image and effulgence of the Sun of Reality appear in the mirrors of the Manifestations of God. This is what Jesus Christ meant when He declared, "the father is in the son," the purpose being that the reality of that eternal Sun had become reflected in its glory in Christ Himself. It does not signify that the Sun of Reality had descended from its place in heaven or that its essential being had effected an entrance into the mirror, for there is neither entrance nor exit for the reality of Divinity; there is no ingress or egress; it is sanctified above all things and ever occupies its own holy station. Changes and transformations are not applicable to that eternal reality. Transformation from condition to condition is the attribute of contingent realities.
Is it possible then for the
reality of Divinity to be finite and the human creature infinite?
On the contrary, the reverse is true; the human is finite while the
essence
of Divinity is infinite. Whatever comes within the sphere of
human
comprehension must be limited and finite. As the essence of
Divinity
transcends the comprehension of man, therefore God brings forth certain
Manifestations of the divine Reality upon Whom He bestows heavenly
effulgences
in order that They may be intermediaries between humanity and Himself. These
holy Manifestations or Prophets of God are as mirrors which have
acquired
illumination from the Sun of Truth, but the Sun does not descend from
its
high zenith and does not effect entrance within the mirror.
In truth, this mirror has attained complete polish and purity until the
utmost capacity of reflection has been developed in it; therefore, the
Sun of Reality with its fullest effulgence and splendor is revealed
therein.
These mirrors are earthly, whereas the reality of Divinity is in its
highest
apogee. Although its lights are shining and its heat is manifest
in them, although these mirrors are telling their story of its
effulgence,
the Sun, nevertheless, remains in its own lofty station; it does not
descend;
it does not effect entrance, because it is holy and sanctified.
The
Sun of Divinity and of Reality has revealed itself in various
mirrors.
Though these mirrors are many, yet the Sun is one.
The bestowals of God are one; the reality of the divine religion is
one.
Consider how one and the same light has reflected itself in the
different
mirrors or manifestations of it. There are certain souls who are
lovers of the Sun; they perceive the effulgence of the Sun from every
mirror.
They are not fettered or attached to the mirrors; they are attached to
the Sun itself and adore it, no matter from what point it may
shine.
But those who adore the mirror and are attached to it become deprived
of
witnessing the light of the Sun when it shines forth from another
mirror.
For instance, the Sun of Reality revealed itself from the Mosaic
mirror.
The people who were sincere accepted and believed in it. When the
same Sun shone from the Messianic mirror, the Jews who were not lovers
of the Sun and who were fettered by their adoration of the mirror of
Moses
did not perceive the lights and effulgences of the Sun of Reality
resplendent
in Jesus; therefore, they were deprived of its bestowals. Yet the
Sun of Reality, the Word of God, shone from the Messianic mirror
through
the wonderful channel of Jesus Christ more fully and more
wonderfully.
Its effulgences were manifestly radiant, but even to this day the Jews
are holding to the Mosaic mirror. Therefore, they are bereft of
witnessing
the lights of eternity in Jesus.
In
brief,
the sun is one sun, the light is one light which shines upon all
phenomenal
beings. Every creature has a portion thereof, but the pure mirror
can reveal the story of its bounty more fully and completely.
Therefore,
we must adore the light of the Sun, no matter through what mirror it
may
be revealed. We must not entertain prejudice, for prejudice is an
obstacle to realization. Inasmuch as the effulgence is one
effulgence,
the human realities must all become recipients of the same light,
recognizing
in it the compelling force that unites them in its illumination.
As
this
is the radiant century, it is my hope that the Sun of Truth may
illumine
all humanity. May the eyes be opened and the ears become
attentive;
may souls become resuscitated and consort together in the utmost
harmony
as recipients of the same light. Perchance, God will remove this
strife and warfare of thousands of years. May this bloodshed pass
away, this tyranny and oppression cease, this warfare be ended.
May
the light of love shine forth and illumine hearts, and may human lives
be cemented and connected until all of us may find agreement and
tranquillity
beneath the same tabernacle and with the standard of the Most Great
Peace
above us move steadily onward.
This Holy Spirit is the
mediator between God and His creatures. It is like a mirror
facing
the sun. As the pure mirror receives light from the sun and
transmits
this bounty to others, so the Holy Spirit is the mediator of the Holy
Light
from the Sun of Reality, which it gives to the sanctified
realities.
It is adorned with all the divine perfections. Every time it
appears,
the world is renewed, and a new cycle is founded.
A Commentary on the Baha'i texts explains the Twofold-Condition of the Manifestation:
The first station, which is related to His innermost reality, representeth Him as One Whose voice is the voice of God Himself...
The second station is the human station, exemplified by the following verses: "I am but a man like you." "Say, praise be to my Lord! Am I more than a man, an apostle?" "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone." (Luke 18:19 and Mark 10:18)
Baha'u'llah also affirms
that,
in the spiritual realm, there is an "essential unity" between all the
Manifestations
of God. They all reveal the "Beauty of God", manifest His names
and
attributes, and give utterance to His Revelation. In this regard, He
states:
Were any of the all-embracing Manifestations of God to declare:
"I
am God", He, verily, speaketh the truth, and no doubt attacheth
thereto.
For it hath been repeatedly demonstrated that through their Revelation,
their attributes and names, the Revelation of God, His names and His
attributes,
are made manifest in the world...
While the Manifestations
reveal
the names and attributes of God and are the means by which humanity has
access to the knowledge of God and His Revelation, Shoghi Effendi
(Guardian
of the Baha'i Faith) states that the Manifestations should "never ...
be
identified with that invisible Reality, the Essence of Divinity
itself".
In relation to Baha'u'llah, the Guardian wrote that the "human temple
that
has been the vehicle of so overpowering a Revelation" is not to be
identified
with the "Reality" of God. (Aqdas:
Notes, Pages: 233-234)
The Clouds that Obscure the Sun of Truth
Men said, `He is of Nazareth, born of Mary, we know Him and we know his brethren. What can He mean? What is He saying? That He came forth from God?'
The Body of Christ was born of Mary of Nazareth, but the Spirit was of God. The capacities of His human body were limited but the strength of His spirit was vast, infinite, immeasurable.
Men asked, `Why does He say He is of God?' If they had understood the reality of Christ, they would have known that the body of His humanity was a cloud that hid His Divinity. The world only saw His human form, and therefore wondered how He could have `come down from Heaven'.
Baha'u'llah said, `Even as the clouds hide the sun and the sky from our gaze, even so did the humanity of Christ hide from men His real Divine character'.
I hope that you will turn with unclouded eyes towards the Sun of Truth, beholding not the things of earth, lest your hearts be attracted to the worthless and passing pleasures of the world; let that Sun give you of His strength, then will not the clouds of prejudice veil His illumination from your eyes! Then will the Sun be without clouds for you.
Breathe the air of purity. May you each and all share in the Divine Bounties of the Kingdom of Heaven. May the world be for you no obstacle hiding the truth from your sight, as the human body of Christ hid His Divinity from the people of His day. May you receive the clear vision of the Holy Spirit, so that your hearts may be illumined and able to recognize the Sun of Truth shining through all material clouds, His splendour flooding the universe.
Let not the things of the body obscure the celestial light of the spirit, so that, by the Divine Bounty, you may enter with the children of God into His Eternal Kingdom.
Why the Sun of Truth is Gradually Revealed
("hidden") in this Day.
(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah)