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“This is a great
mystery....
concerning Christ....”
(Bible: St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 5:32)
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Last revision date: November 21, 2002
(Copyright 2002 -- www.homestead.com/watsongregory/files/Christ.pps)
“Father.... Son…. and Holy Spirit”
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)
Mediator or MESSENGER (someone "sent" by "another")
"My food is to do the will of him who sent me. . " (John 4:34)
"I can do nothing on my own. . . (John 5:30, John 6:38, John 7:16)
JESUS WAS A MAN (as a being other than God)
". . .and being found in fashion as a man. . . (Philippians 2:8)
“. . . Christ Jesus, mediator between God and man, himself
human” (1 Timothy 2:5, Luke 18:19, Mark 10:18, 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)
Christ is a mystery
because God is a
mystery
Jesus said: “No man hath seen God at any
time, the only begotten Son, which is in the
bosom of the Father, he hath declared
him.”
(King James Bible, John 1:18... Also 1st John 4:12)
God is a mystery
Jesus said: "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)
God is a mystery
“who is the blessed and only... King of
kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath
immortality, dwelling in the light which no
man can approach unto; whom no man
hath seen, nor can see: to whom be
honour and power everlasting.”
(King James Bible, 1 Timothy 6:16)
There is only One Christ -always was…. always will be....
“In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.”
(Holy Bible -- John 1:1)
“The Word
of God [the Reality of Christ]
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.”
(Some Answered Questions, p. 116 )
The Spirit of Christ – known as the “Word” of God
– was “in the Prophets” before Jesus was born
“Of which salvation the prophets have enquired
and searched diligently, who prophesied of the
grace that should come unto you: Searching what,
or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ
which was in them did signify, when it testified
beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory
that should follow.” (1 Peter 1:10-11)
Christ hid many meanings in His words
to test the sincere of heart
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they
seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they
understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of
Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall
not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not
perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their
ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed;
lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear
with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and
should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed
are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear....
(Matthew 13:13-16)
“The time cometh, when I shall no more speak to you
in figures, but I shall show you plainly of the Father.”
(John 16:25)
“Ifwas
I haveintold
you
Christ
Heaven
earthly things, and ye His language
Christ is while
He
was
on
earth
believe not, how shall ye
is also
stating that He believe, if I tell you of
twofold:
has a twofoldGod
heavenly
things?
And no
hides
His truths
ascended up to sometimes
“Station” or man hath
within
but he that came
symbolic
&
at
Dual nature: heaven,
parables
down from heaven, even
other times
heavenly and the Sonand
of man which
language.
literal or
earthly figurative
is in heaven.”
(Bible, John 3:12 )
physical
He warns us not to mistake the figurative for literal.
“An intermediary is needed to bring two
extremes into relation with each other”
“. . . 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.”
Rays of the sun are “intermediary”
(PT, p.58)
No one can go to the sun
except through it’s rays.
...without the medium of the
warmth and light of the rays of
the sun, ...the earth could not
receive benefits from the sun. . .
(Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 58)
“An intermediary is needed to bring two
extremes into relation with each other”
“Unknowable, unthinkable...”
The Realm of the Creator
“The Divine Reality may
be likened to the sun. . .
. . . and the Holy Spirit
to the rays of the sun.”
The Realm of Creation
The valley...the
land, the sea
and the island...
No one “comes to the Father” except
through His “Mediator” or intermediary
Just as no one can benefit from the sun
except through the sunshine, “... 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.”
(Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 58)
Christ Is the “Mediator”
Between God and Man
"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; ..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 through Me." (John 14:6)
A “pure and stainless soul”
is “made manifest”
“And since there can be no tie of direct intercourse
to bind the one true God with His creation, and no
resemblance whatever can exist between the
transient and the Eternal, the contingent and the
Absolute, He hath ordained that in every age and
dispensation a pure and stainless Soul be made
manifest in the kingdoms of earth and heaven.”
(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 66)
Christ is the Mediator between
God and Man
GOD
Christ is the
perfect image
of God
"He that hath seen me
hath seen the Father. . .”
(John 14:9)
Christ
reflectingof
and
Theis World
transmitting God’s Holy Spirit
to the earth and humanity
Humanity
The Holy Spirit
is like the rays
from the Sun
reflected in the
Mirror of Christ
Sun Remains in the Heavens
“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.” (SAQ, p 113-115)
Christ is a clear Mirror of God
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"
(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 206)
Christ is a perfect Mirror of God
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.
This is so simple that all can understand it, and that
which we are able to understand we must perforce accept.
(Paris Talks, p. 25-26 (Also,Some Answered Questions, Pages: 205-207)
“The Christ” is a sanctified Mirror
"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)
The three “stations” of the Manifestations
“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
physical is subject to decomposition….
the second station is the human, which is that of the rational
soul; ...which is the human reality. This… the Holy
Manifestations share it with all mankind.
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.” (Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 151)
“... is the Way of God that
connecteth this world with the realms above”
(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 50)
The Realm of the Creator
“The third station is that of
the divine appearance and
heavenly splendor: it is the
Word of God, the Eternal
Bounty, the Holy Spirit.”
“the Christ” is
“the place of the Divine
Appearance”
(Some Answered Questions, p. 152)
The Realm of Creation
The “Manifestation of God” lives on a plane of
existence above the rest of humankind
The Realm of the Creator
The Soul of the
Peter
could
never
become
Manifestation was
The Manifestation occupies a realm
in between
Godhow
and Man
no matter
far
created for the purpose Christ
he
might
progress
of Revelation
The Realm of Creation
Christ is a mystery
because God is a
mystery
"Manifold and mysterious is My
relationship with God. I am He, Himself,
and He is I, Myself, except that I am that I
am, and He is that He is.”
“Divine Reality is Unthinkable...”
All superior kingdoms are incomprehensible to
the inferior; how therefore could it be possible
that the creature, man, should understand the
almighty Creator of all?
That which we imagine, is not the Reality of
God; He, the Unknowable, the Unthinkable, is far
beyond the highest conception of man.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 24)
“. . .people create a god in their own minds”
"All the people have formed a god in the world of thought
and they worship that form of their own imagination, while the
fact is that the imagined concept is comprehended by the mind
which is comprehensive. Surely that which comprehends is
greater than the comprehended...” Therefore consider: All the
sects and peoples worship their own thought; they create a
god in their own minds and acknowledge him to be the
creator of all things, when that form is a superstition -- thus
people adore and worship imagination (or illusion).
That Essence of the Divine Entity and the Unseen of the
unseen is holy above imagination and is beyond thought.
Consciousness doth not reach It. Within the capacity of
comprehension of a produced (or created) reality that Ancient
Reality cannot be contained. (Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v3, p. 562)
God is a mystery
“. . . man is made in God's image: yet the Essence of God is
incomprehensible to the human mind, for the finite
understanding cannot be applied to this infinite Mystery.
God contains all: He cannot be contained.
That which contains is superior to that which is contained.
. . . it is impossible for the heart of man to comprehend the
nature of the Majesty of God.
Our imagination can only picture
that which it is able to create.”
(Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 23)
God speaks through human mouth
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,
“the Christ.” 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.
Divergent utterances perplex the mind
“By virtue of this station [UNITY ] they have claimed for themselves the
Voice of Divinity and the like, whilst by virtue of their station of
Messengership, [DISTINCTION ] 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.” (Gleanings. . . ., p. 55 )
“RETURN” spoken of by the Prophets
“. . . by this [statement in the Holy Scriptures] is meant the
return of the qualities, conditions, effects, perfections, and
inner realities of the lights which recur in every dispensation.
The reference is not to specific, individual souls and identities.
It may be said, for instance, that this lamplight is last night's come back
again, or that last year's rose hath returned to the garden this year. Here
the reference is not to the individual reality, the fixed identity, the
specialized being of that other rose, rather doth it mean that the qualities,
the distinctive characteristics of that other light, that other flower, are
present now, in these. Those perfections, that is, those graces and gifts of
a former springtime are back again this year. We say, for example,
that this fruit is the same as last year's; but we are thinking only of the
delicacy, bloom and freshness, and the sweet taste of it; for it is obvious
that that… [the] specific identity [and body], can never return.
(Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 183)
RETURN of “state” and “station”:
Jesus Christ, speaking of John the Baptist, declared
that John was Elias. (Mark 9:13 & Matt 11:14, 17:13)
When John the Baptist was questioned, "Art thou
Elias?" he said, "I am not." (Bible:John 1:19-21 )
“These two statements are apparently contradictory,
but in reality they do not contradict. The light is one
light. The light which illumined this lamp last night is
illuminating it tonight. This does not mean that the
identical rays of light have reappeared but the virtues of
illumination.” (Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 167 )
John the Baptist came in the “spirit and power” of
Elias. (see Bible: Luke 1:17)
The “RETURN” spoken of
by the Prophets
and referred to in the Holy Books
“ ‘That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.’ And this
Spirit hath both restitution and return, inasmuch as it
consists of the Light of God and the unconditioned
grace. So, having regard to this state and station,
Christ announced that John the Baptist was Elias,
who was to come before Christ.”
(Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 371)
RETURN of “state” and “station”:
Thus it is that Jesus, Himself, declared: "I go away and come again
unto you." Consider the sun. Were it to say now, "I am the sun of
yesterday," it would speak the truth. And should it, bearing the
sequence of time in mind, claim to be other than that sun, it still would
speak the truth. In like manner, if it be said that all the days are but one
and the same, it is correct and true. And if it be said, with respect to
their particular names and designations, that they differ, that again is
true. For though they are the same, yet one doth recognize in each a
separate designation, a specific attribute, a particular character.
Conceive accordingly the distinction, variation, and unity
characteristic of the various Manifestations of holiness, that thou
mayest comprehend the allusions made by the creator of all names
and attributes to the mysteries of distinction and unity, and discover
the answer to thy question as to why that everlasting Beauty should
have, at sundry times, called Himself by different names and titles.
(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 21)
Progressive Revelation from age to age...
Krishna the Avatar (meaning "incarnation" or Manifestation of
Deity) speaks to Arjuna in a form of revelation: (Gita: Ch.4, #s 7)
“. . . whenever there is a decline of righteousness,
and unrighteousness is in the ascendant, then I body
Myself forth. For the protection of the virtuous, for the
destruction of evil amongst men (evil-doers), and for
the establishing of Dharma (righteousness) on a firm
footing (solid foundation), I am born from age to age.”
"This which we now call the Christian Religion
existed among the ancients and was from the beginning
of the human race until Christ Himself came in the
flesh, from which time the already existing true religion
began to be called Christianity.” -- Saint Augustine
The “Christ Spirit” was in the
“Manifestations of God”
BEFORE and AFTER Jesus. . .
Each time testifying to the
one before and the one after.
“Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and
searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that
should come unto you: Searching what, or what
manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in
them did signify, when it testified beforehand the
sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should
follow.”
(Bible, 1 Peter 1:10-11)
One religion….
“There is only one
religion and all the
Prophets
[Manifestations] have
taught it….”
Abdu’l-Baha
The Pathway to God
“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.”
Baha’u’llah testifies to the glory
of Jesus as “the Christ”
“Know thou that when the Son of Man yielded up His breath to God,
the whole creation wept with a great weeping. By sacrificing Himself,
however, a fresh capacity was infused into all created things. Its
evidences, as witnessed in all the peoples of the earth, are now
manifest before thee. The deepest wisdom which the sages have
uttered, the profoundest learning which any mind hath unfolded, the
arts which the ablest hands have produced, the influence exerted by
the most potent of rulers, are but manifestations of the quickening
power released by His transcendent, His all-pervasive, and
resplendent Spirit.
We testify that when He came into the world, He shed the splendor
of His glory upon all created things. . . .We bear witness that through
the power of the Word of God every leper was cleansed, every sickness
was healed, every human infirmity was banished. He it is Who
purified the world. Blessed is the man who, with a face beaming with
light, hath turned towards Him.” (Baha'u'llah -- Gleanings..., p. 85 )
Station Of “Essential Unity”
Beware, O believers in the Unity of God, lest ye be tempted
to make any distinction between any of the Manifestations
of His Cause, or to discriminate against the signs that have
accompanied and proclaimed their Revelation. This indeed
is the true meaning of Divine Unity, if ye be of them that
apprehend and believe this truth. (Gleanings..., p. 59)
Wherefore, should one of these Manifestations of Holiness
proclaim saying: "I am the return of all the Prophets," He
verily speaketh the truth. In like manner, in every
subsequent Revelation, the return of the former Revelation
is a fact, the truth of which is firmly established.
(The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 154)
The “Word of God” is One Word
Abdu’l-Baha said:
“The Baha’i message is a call to religious unity
and not an invitation to a new religion, not a new
path to immortality. God forbid! It is the ancient
path cleared of the debris of imaginations and
superstitions of men, of the debris of strife and
misunderstanding and is again made a clear path
to sincere seeker that he may enter therein in
assurance, and find that the Word of God is one
Word though the speakers were many.”
"The Scriptures of Different Faiths," in God, His Mediator, and Man, p. 14.
Also in “Star of the West,” Vol.15, p. 28.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ was not fully
disclosed in His own time… and was
to be completed by His “second coming”
<><><><><><>
Christ is the “Word of God” –
eternal in the past, eternal in the present, eternal in the future.
Jesus referred to the “coming of another” and His own “Return”
as the same event (like the return of Elias being John the Baptist)
and in the same statements (see John 14:16-18).
These statements mean one and the same thing.
Likewise, He said that He had “more to tell us” which He would
speak “through another” when He returns:
“I have more to tell you but you cannot bear it now.”
(John 16:12-13)
The “Word of God” is One Word
“The Cause of Baha'u'llah is the same as the Cause of
Christ. It is the same Temple and the same Foundation.
Both of these are spiritual springtimes and seasons of the
soul-refreshing awakening and the cause of the renovation
of the life of mankind. The spring of this year is the same
as the spring of last year. The origins and ends are the
same. The sun of today is the sun of yesterday. In the
coming of Christ, the divine teachings were given in
accordance with the infancy of the human race. The
teachings of Baha'u'llah have the same basic principles, but
are according to the stage of the maturity of the world and
the requirements of this illumined age.”
(Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 400)
Words of Baha’u’llah
. . . “This is the Word the Son veiled when He said to those
around Him that at that time they could not bear it. Verily
the Spirit of Truth is come to guide you unto all truth. He is
the One Who glorified the Son and exalted His Cause...”
"The Comforter Whose advent all the scriptures have
promised is now come that He may reveal unto you all
knowledge and wisdom. Seek Him over the entire surface of
the earth, haply ye may find Him." WOB, p104 - (John 14,15,16)
“If ye be intent on crucifying once again Jesus, the Spirit
of God, put Me to death, for He hath once more, in My
person, been made manifest unto you.”
(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 101)
The returned Christ is hidden “from the
churches.” Each person must overcome
himself – i.e., his own preconceptions.
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto
the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of
the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and
in the stone a new name written, which no man
knoweth saving he that receiveth it.” (Revelation 2:17)
Manna is the “Bread of Life” or WORD come down from Heaven -a reference to Christ as the Word of God “come down from
Heaven.” (John 6:31)
Stone is also a reference to Christ -- at first and second comings:
Romans 9:33, 1st Corinthians 10:4, 1st Peter 2:4, Matthew 21:42,
Mark 12:10, Acts 4:11, refer to Psalm 188:22-23 and Isaiah 28:16
Why “new name” is necessary
If Christ, at the time of His “second coming” -- the coming
of the “Spirit of Truth,” promised to guide humanity to all
truth -- in order to unite all the peoples of the world into
“One fold” under “One Shepherd,” ... if Christ came with
the name of “Christ” how could the Buddhists, the
Zoroastrians, the Hindus and the Muslims who all expect a
“world redeemer” (a world educator) to come unite the
peoples of the world at the so-called “end of time”
recognize Him as their Promised One also? Names must
change to meet the needs of all the people.
(see new name: Rev. 2:17, 3:12 & 19:13)
The Bible says that the “Spirit of Christ” was
in the other prophets telling of Jesus
and the “Glory of God” after Him. (1 Peter 1:10-11)
He is the “Way of God . . .”
“. . .that connecteth this world with the realms above”
(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 50)
The Realm of the Creator
“the Reality of Christ -- that
is to say, the Word of God -is the cause of spiritual life.”
(Abdu’l-Baha --SAQ, p.120)
“He had a name written, that
no man knew, but he himself.
. . . and his name is called
The Word of God.”
(Bible, Revelation 19:13)
The Realm of Creation
He suffered for our sakes once again..
He suffered a living martydom.
Just as Jesus died for us, Baha'u'lláh was imprisoned for
twenty-four years in Akka, Palestine, then a Turkish
penal colony. This period of His incarceration began in
1868. In 1868 Sultán `Abdu'-l`Azíz had Bahá'u'lláh sent to
the fortress of St. Jean d'Acre (`Akká) in Ottoman Syria to
live out the rest of his life there as a prisoner. By then, He
had already been a prisoner for fifteen years — an
imprisonment which began in the "Black Pit" dungeon
outside Tihran, Persia (Tehran, Iran, today). His
confinement continued throughout His thirty-nine year
exile from Persia. Three times He was poisoned. He was
beaten an wore 100 pound chains around His neck.
He suffered for our sakes once again..
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. He
hath drained to its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all the peoples
of the earth may attain unto abiding joy, and be filled with
gladness. This is of the mercy of your Lord, the Compassionate,
the Most Merciful. We have accepted to be abased, O believers
in the Unity of God, that ye may be exalted, and have suffered
manifold afflictions, that ye might prosper and flourish. He
Who hath come to build anew the whole world, behold, how
they that have joined partners with God have forced Him to
dwell within the most desolate of cities!”
(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 99 )
Who He says He is….
" ...Thou hast come to see a prisoner and an exile.... We desire but
the good of the world and happiness of the nations; yet they deem us
a stirrer up of strife and sedition worthy of bondage and
banishment.... That all nations should become one in faith and all
men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the
sons of men should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should
cease, and differences of race be annulled — what harm is there in
this?... Yet so it shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars
shall pass away, and the 'Most Great Peace' shall come... Is not
this that which Christ foretold?... These strifes and this
bloodshed and discord must cease, and all men be as one kindred
and one family.... Let not a man glory in this, that he loves his
country; let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind...."
(words spoken by Bahá'u'lláh, recorded by Professor Edward
Granville Browne in 1891)
“Spirit of Truth” is a reference to the 2nd coming
The following verse of Christ is NOT commonly regarded as a
reference to His "return, " but a closer examination will reveal
that this "Spirit of Truth," must "come” embodied in a Person.
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 show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall
receive of mine, and shall show [it] unto you...." (John 16:12-15)
First notice that the “Spirit of Christ” and the “Holy Spirit”
and the “Spirit of Truth” are used interchangeably in the New
Testament… (compare 1 Peter 1:10-11 with Acts 1:15 )
“Spirit of Truth” comes (“Returns”)
both to us as individuals and collectively
While it is true that the Holy Spirit is independent of Bodily form,
for example:
“... the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive,
because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know
him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
(John 14:16 )
. . .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. This verse from the Bible refers to a "man" with
"ears to hear and a tongue to speak."
The promised Spirit of Truth
is embodied in a man -- with “ears,” etc.
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)
GOD SPEAKS to Jesus -- JESUS HAD “EARS TO HEAR,” AND THEN SPOKE
Notice that soon after Jesus describes His own condition, He describes the “Spirit of
Truth” who would come to tell us “more” that we “could not bear” at the time of His
first coming --as one who "hears :" ". . . He shall not speak of Himself; but
whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak." (John 16:12-13 )
He is describing the very same condition for the “Spirit of Truth” as that which He
describes for Himself -- with ears to hear and a tongue to 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. The listener is “a Man Who has
individuality, Who has ears to hear and a tongue to speak. . . It is clear that the Spirit
of Truth is embodied in a man.” (SAQ, p. 109)
Spirit of Truth has an ear to hear and a tongue to speak
". . . 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." (SAQ, p108-109)
Primary Mission of the Baha’i Faith
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The primary mission of the Faith is to enable every
adherent of an earlier World-Faith to obtain
a fuller understanding
of the religion with which he stands identified and
to acquire a clear apprehension of its purpose. . .
(Shoghi Effendi)
World peace will not occur until its unity is first
established -- based on recognized Oneness
“Taking precedence over all else in its gospel is the message
of unity in religion.... It is the crowning glory of the Baha'i
movement that, while deprecating sectarianism in its
preaching, it has faithfully practiced what it preached by
refraining from becoming itself a sect.... Its representatives
do not attempt to impose any beliefs upon others,
whether by argument or bribery; rather do they seek to put
beliefs that have illumined their own lives within the reach of
those who feel they need illumination. No, not a sect, not a
part of humanity cut off from all the rest, living for itself and
aiming to convert all the rest into material for its own
growth; no, not that, but a leaven, causing spiritual
fermentation in all religions quickening them with the spirit
of catholicity [universality] and fraternalism.”
(Shoghi Effendi, Appreciations of
New Day of “One fold”... “One Shepherd”
“And other sheep I have, which are not of
this fold: them also I must bring, and they
shall hear my voice; and there shall be one
fold, and one shepherd.”
(King James Bible, John 10:16 )
This is the Day (new era or “age”)
of the “One Fold” and “One Shepherd”
This is Christ’s Prayer: That we may become One
“O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory
which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested
thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world...
Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given
me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou
gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely
that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst
send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them
which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are
thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I
am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to
thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou
hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.”
(Christ’s final prayer for His followers -- King James Bible, John 17:5)
Purpose of God in revealing Himself
“The Purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, in
revealing Himself unto men is to lay bare those gems that
lie hidden within the mine of their true and inmost selves.
That the divers communions of the earth, and the manifold
systems of religious belief, should never be allowed to
foster the feelings of animosity among men, is, in this
Day, of the essence of the Faith of God and His Religion.
These principles and laws, these firmly-established and
mighty systems, have proceeded from one Source, and are
the rays of one Light. That they differ one from another is
to be attributed to the varying requirements of the ages in
which they were promulgated.”
(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 287)
“Through the movement of Our Pen
of glory We have, at the bidding of the
omnipotent Ordainer, breathed a new
life into every human frame, and
instilled into every word a fresh
potency. All created things proclaim
the evidences of this world-wide
regeneration.”
(From the Pen of Baha’u’llah)
“Soon will the present day order be rolled up…”
“How long will humanity persist in its waywardness? How long will
injustice continue? How long is chaos and confusion to reign amongst
men? How long will discord agitate the face of society?... The winds of
despair are, alas, blowing from every direction, and the strife that
divideth and afflicteth the human race is daily increasing. The signs of
impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the
prevailing order appeareth to be lamentably defective. I beseech God,
exalted be His glory, that He may graciously awaken the peoples of the
earth, may grant that the end of their conduct may be profitable unto
them, and aid them to accomplish that which beseemeth their station.”
“. . . Beseech ye the one true God to grant that all men may be graciously
assisted to fulfil that which is acceptable in Our sight. Soon will the
present-day order be rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead.
Verily, thy Lord speaketh the truth, and is the Knower of things unseen.”
(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 216 and 7)
Infused into the whole creation...
"The Call of God," Abdu'l-Baha has written,
"when raised, breathed a new life into the body of
mankind, and infused a new spirit into the
whole creation. It is for this reason that the
world hath been moved to its depths, and the
hearts and consciences of men been quickened.
Erelong the evidences of this regeneration will be
revealed, and the fast asleep will be awakened.”
(Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 169)
New Spirit released into the World
“Baha'u'llah found the world in a ‘strange
sleep’. But what a disturbance His coming has
unloosed! The peoples of the earth had been
separated, many parts of the human race
socially and spiritually isolated. But the world
of humanity today bears little resemblance to
that which Baha'u'llah left a century ago.
Unbeknownst to the great majority, His
influence permeates all living beings . . . .”
(Letters of The Universal House of Justice, 1997 Aug 13, Science and Religion)
Today the world responds “unconsciously”
Unbeknownst to the great majority, His influence permeates all
living beings. Indeed, no domain of life remains unaffected. In the
burgeoning energy, the magnified perspectives, the heightened
global consciousness; in the social and political turbulence, the fall
of kingdoms, the emancipation of nations, the intermixture of
cultures, the clamour for development; in the agitation over the
extremes of wealth and poverty, the acute concern over the abuse of
the environment, the leap of consciousness regarding the rights of
women and racial equality; in the growing tendency towards
ecumenism, the increasing call for a new world order; in the
astounding advances in the realms of science, technology, literature
and the arts -- in all this tumult, with its paradoxical
manifestations of chaos and order, integration and
disintegration, are the signs of His [Baha’u’llah’s] power as World
Reformer, the proof of His claim as Divine Physician, the truth of
His Word as the All-Knowing Counselor.
New Cycle of Human Power
“The banner of the Holy Spirit is uplifted, and men see it,
and are assured with the knowledge that this is a new day.
This is a new cycle of human power. All the horizons of the
world are luminous, and the world will become indeed as a
garden and a paradise. It is the hour of unity of the sons of
men and of the drawing together of all races and all classes.
You are loosed from ancient superstitions which have kept men
ignorant, destroying the foundation of true humanity.
The gift of God to this enlightened age is the knowledge of
the oneness of mankind and of the fundamental oneness of
religion. War shall cease between nations, and by the will of
God the Most Great Peace shall come; the world will be seen
as a new world, and all men will live as brothers.”
(Abdu'l-Baha in London, 1912, p. 19 )
Exponential curve of Progress
The “new earth”
99% of all
“Between the middle of the eighth and the beginning
scientists are still
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living and 98%
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have developed
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United States
475-1453 A.D.
Middle Ages (“Dark Ages”)
1844…1863… 1912
Birth of the Baha’i Era
Death pangs.... Birth pangs...
“Deep as is the gloom that already encircles the world, the
afflictive ordeals which that world is to suffer are still in
preparation, nor can their blackness be as yet imagined.
We stand on the threshold of an age whose convulsions
proclaim alike the death-pangs of the old order and the
birth-pangs of the new. Through the generating influence
of the Faith announced by Baha'u'llah this New World
Order may be said to have been conceived. We can, at the
present moment, experience its stirrings in the womb of a
travailing age -- an age waiting for the appointed hour at
which it can cast its burden and yield its fairest fruit.”
(Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 169 )
Seat of the Universal House of Justice
Baha’i World Center
on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain
of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the
mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations
shall flow unto it.” (King James Bible, Isaiah 2:2)
The House of the Lord sits on
“And many people shall
go and say, Come ye, and His Holy mountain in Israel,
as fulfillment of this prophesy.
let us go up to the
mountain of the LORD, to
the house of the God of
Jacob; and he will teach us
of his ways, and we will
walk in his paths: for out
of Zion shall go forth the
law, and the word of the
LORD from Jerusalem.
And he shall judge among
the nations, and shall
rebuke many people: and
they shall beat their
swords into plowshares. .”
(Bible, Isaiah 2:3-4)
“. . .and we will walk in his paths. . .”
". . . and they shall beat their swords into
plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks:
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.”
(Isaiah 2:4)
“Do ye know in what cycle ye are created and in
what age ye exist? This is the age of the Blessed
Perfection and this is the time of the Greatest
Name! This is the century of the Manifestation, the
age of the Sun of the Horizons and the beautiful
springtime of His Holiness the Eternal One!”
(Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 351 )
Words of Baha’u’llah
“. . . It is incumbent upon every man, in this Day, to hold fast unto
whatsoever will promote the interests, and exalt the station, of all
nations and just governments. Through each and every one of the verses
which the Pen of the Most High hath revealed, the doors of love and
unity have been unlocked and flung open to the face of men. We have
erewhile declared -- and Our Word is the truth -- : 'Consort with the
followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship.'
Whatsoever hath led the children of men to shun one another, and hath
caused dissensions and divisions amongst them, hath, through the
revelation of these words, been nullified and abolished. From the
heaven of God's Will, and for the purpose of ennobling the world of
being and of elevating the minds and souls of men, hath been sent
down that which is the most effective instrument for the education of
the whole human race. The highest essence and most perfect
expression of whatsoever the peoples of old have either said or written
hath, through this most potent Revelation, been sent down from the
heaven of the Will of the All-Possessing, the Ever-Abiding God.”
“Bend your energies . . .”
“Beseech ye the one true God to grant that ye may taste the
savor of such deeds as are performed in His path, and
partake of the sweetness of such humility and
submissiveness as are shown for His sake. Forget your own
selves, and turn your eyes towards your neighbor. Bend
your energies to whatever may foster the education of
men. Nothing is, or can ever be, hidden from God. If ye
follow in His way, His incalculable and imperishable
blessings will be showered upon you. This is the luminous
Tablet, whose verses have streamed from the moving Pen
of Him Who is the Lord of all worlds. Ponder it in your
hearts, and be of them that observe its precepts.”
(Baha’u’llah -- in Baha'i World Faith, p. 125)
“Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the
trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly
face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer
of the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair
in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and
show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in
darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the
distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let
integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the
stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive.
Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be
an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of
fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the
body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above
the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on
the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the
diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation,
a fruit upon the tree of humility.” -- (from the Writings of Baha'u'llah)
The Mysterious terms of
“Sacrifice”, “Salvation” and “Redemption”
“We, verily, have come for your sakes,
and have borne the misfortunes of the
world for your salvation.”
(Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 10)
“…Fix your gaze upon Him Who is the
Temple of God amongst men. He, in
truth, hath offered up His life as a
ransom for the redemption of the world.”
(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 315)
Christ is a mystery
because God is a
mystery
"Manifold and mysterious is My
relationship with God. I am He, Himself,
and He is I, Myself, except that I am that I
am, and He is that He is.”
(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 66)
Eternal in the past, Eternal in the Future...
“Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye
may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of
wisdom that lie hid in its depths. Take heed that ye do
not vacillate in your determination to embrace the
truth of this Cause -- a Cause through which the
potentialities of the might of God have been revealed, and
His sovereignty established. With faces beaming with joy,
hasten ye unto Him. This is the changeless Faith of
God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future.
Let him that seeketh, attain it; and as to him that hath
refused to seek it -- verily, God is Self-Sufficient, above
any need of His creatures.”
(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 136 )
The Judgement of God
"The time for the destruction of the world and its people,"
Baha'u'llah's prophetic pen has proclaimed, "hath arrived.”
"The promised day is come, the day when tormenting
trials will have surged above your heads, and beneath your
feet, saying: 'Taste ye what your hands have wrought!’”
(Baha’u’llah quoted in The Promised Day is Come)
“Humanity... watches this great and mighty wind of God
invading the remotest and fairest regions of the earth,
rocking its foundations, deranging its equilibrium,
sundering its nations, disrupting the homes of its peoples,
wasting its cities, driving into exile its kings, pulling down
its bulwarks, uprooting its institutions, dimming its light,
and harrowing up the souls of its inhabitants.” Shoghi Effendi
“Then and only then...”
“The world is in travail, and its agitation waxeth
day by day. Its face is turned towards
waywardness and unbelief. Such shall be its
plight, that to disclose it now would not be meet
and seemly. Its perversity will long continue. And
when the appointed hour is come, there shall
suddenly appear that which shall cause the
limbs of mankind to quake. Then, and only
then, will the Divine Standard be unfurled, and
the Nightingale of Paradise warble its melody.”
(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 118)