Baha'u'llah, the Return of the Messenger

Each Messenger leaves his followers with the hope that He will return. Through the life cycle of a dispensation, the processes associated with the rise of the institutions of religion solidify expectations of the return into particular images and concepts associated with the scriptural references to the event and the signs of its coming. The expectations are also generally defined within the context of the continuation of the particular religious institutions that forecast the event. For example, it is common for many Christians to see the return of the Messenger in the end times as the return of the person of Jesus who will extend the authority of the institutions of Christianity to the governance of the earth. Some Jews in the time of Jesus had a similar expectation for the coming of the Messiah and their independence from Rome. The Messiah would come with a sword and defeat the Romans. It would be grandiose and obvious to everyone, and it would extend the authority of the institutions of Judaism over the Romans. New dispensations generally do not meet the literal expectations articulated by the institutions of the former dispensation. The Messenger brings a new message that exceeds the capacity and expectations of the former dispensation.

In the parable of the new wine and old wine skins (Luke 5:37-39), Jesus instructs about the heightened level of spirituality and insight brought by the Messenger and the inability of the institutions of the former dispensation to contain it. The parable ends with the added note that individuals who are used to the old wine will generally prefer it to the new wine. "And no one after drinking old wine desires new; for he says, 'The old is good'" (Luke 5:39). The Messenger and His new teachings are not welcomed by most of the adherents of the former dispensation who are awaiting His arrival with expectations for the continuance of the old institutions.

The Messengers come to renew the essential spiritual guidance from God for a maturing capacity and provide particular guidance for the continued advancement of civilization. The return of the Messengers, like the coming of spring after winter, is ongoing and progressive. Nature is not stagnant. It progresses, unfolding ever more varied expressions of life.

Among the bounties of God is revelation. Hence revelation is progressive and continuous. It never ceases. It is necessary that the reality of Divinity with all its perfections and attributes should become resplendent in the human world. The reality of Divinity is like an endless ocean. Revelation may be likened to the rain. Can you imagine the cessation of rain? Ever on the face of the earth somewhere rain is pouring down. Briefly, the world of existence is progressive. It is subject to development and growth. Consider how great has been the progress in this radiant century. Civilization has unfolded. Nations have developed. Industrialism and jurisprudence have expanded. Sciences, inventions and discoveries have increased. All of these show that the world of existence is continuously progressing and developing; and therefore, assuredly, the virtues characterizing the maturity of man must, likewise, expand and grow.

The greatest bestowal of God to man is the capacity to attain human virtues. Therefore, the teachings of religion must be reformed and renewed because past teachings are not suitable for the present time. For example, the sciences of bygone centuries are not adequate for the present because sciences have undergone reform. The industrialism of the past will not ensure present efficiency because industrialism has advanced. The laws of the past are being superseded because they are not applicable to this time. All material conditions pertaining to the world of humanity have undergone reform, have achieved development, and the institutes of the past are not to be compared with those of this age. The laws and institutes of former governments cannot be current today, for legislation must be in conformity with the needs and requirements of the body politic at this time….

Therefore, Baha'u'llah appeared from the horizon of the Orient and reestablished the essential foundations of religious teachings of the world. The worn-out traditional beliefs current among men were removed. He caused fellowship and agreement to exist between the representatives of varying denominations so that love became manifest among the contending religions. He created a condition of harmony among hostile sects and upheld the banner of the ones of the world of humanity. (Promulgation of Universal Peace, 378-79)

Abdul'Baha, the son of Baha'u'llah - the prophet founder of the Baha'i Faith, spoke of four methods of acquiring knowledge as it relates to our search for God - the senses, reason, tradition, and the Holy Spirit. The first three are not essentially worthy of the absolute trust of the human soul. They pertain to temporal phenomenon. All measurement, reason, and scriptural interpretation are limited descriptions of human existence that cannot provide certitude to questions of being. Since the human spirit is self-aware and seeks eternal answers to the nature of its being, temporal methods of knowing cannot ultimately satisfy its nature.

The endowments which distinguish the human from all other forms of life are summed up in what is known as the human spirit; the mind is its essential quality. These endowments have enabled humanity to build civilizations and to prosper materially. But such accomplishments alone have never satisfied the human spirit, whose mysterious nature inclines it towards transcendence, a reaching towards an invisible realm, towards the ultimate reality, that unknowable essence of essences called God. (The Universal House of Justice, Promise of World Peace, 17)

The human spirit is inclined to seek the eternal, because it is eternal. Resolution of the search for certitude concerning existence can only be found in the experience of God by the individual. Sensory, rational, or traditional proofs are ephemeral, arbitrary, or vicarious with respect to the nature of reality. Only God can prove His existence. "Be swift in the path of holiness, and enter the heaven of communion with Me. Cleanse thy heart with the burnish of the spirit, and hasten to the court of the Most High" (Baha'u'llah, Hidden Words, p. 24). All other proofs are contingent. No individual can assure any other nor take primary responsibility for anyone other than herself with respect to a relationship with God. We are required by our contingent nature to bear witness to the reality of God as He makes Himself known. The Messengers are the personal realization of God to the individual and guidance to society at large. The Baha'i writings also refer to the Messengers as Manifestations of God. They are human and Divine.

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…

The third station is that of the divine appearance and heavenly splendor: it is the Word of God, the Eternal Bounty, the Holy Spirit. (Abdul'Baha, Some Answered Questions, 151)

Miracles are the most obvious sensory proof for the truth of a Messenger of God. There are accounts of Buddha, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, the Bab and Baha'u'llah intervening in the natural order in a supernatural way. However, sensory proof through miracles is only effective for the beholder. A secondhand hearing of the event is not a sensory proof. Even for those who witness the miracle, there is not necessarily any advancement of spiritual perception. For example, most of the people in the stories of the ministry of Jesus apparently ignored the evidence of their senses when they observed miracles. Miracles are also not emphasized by the Manifestations as having primary value. Jesus advised against reliance on miracles. "A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas" (Christianity. Matthew 16:4). The sign of Jonas refers to the resurrection. For the individual, resurrection is the realization of eternal life that the Messenger brings to those who recognize Him. This is the resurrection that is available for all to witness. For society at large, the resurrection is the return of the Messenger with the power to revitalize and redirect the ongoing evolution of society. The transforming message that addresses the needs of humanity is the "sign of the prophet Jonas."

Abdul'Baha, a central figure in the Baha'i Faith (see page 186), when asked about the miracles that the Messengers or Manifestations of God performed, clarified the role of miracles in the search for God.
But in the Holy Books an especial terminology is employed; and for the Manifestations these miracles and wonderful signs have no importance; they do not even wish to mention them. For, if we consider miracles a great proof, they are still only proofs and arguments for those who are present when they are performed, and not for those who are absent….But in the day of the Manifestations the people with insight see that all the conditions of the Manifestation are miracles, for they are superior to all others, and this alone is an absolute miracle. Recollect that Christ, solitary and alone, without a helper or protector, without armies and legions, and under the greatest oppression, uplifted the standard of God before all the people of the world, and withstood them, and finally conquered all, although outwardly he was crucified. Now this is a veritable miracle which can never be denied. There is no need of any other proof of the truth of Christ.…The meaning is not that the Manifestations are unable to perform miracles, for they have all power. But for them inner sight, spiritual healing, and eternal life are the valuable and important things. (Abdul'Baha, Some Answered Questions, 100-102)

Many of today's religious practitioners focus on expectations of miraculous signs for the end times. They expect the sky to open up to heaven where angels with wings and swords issue forth and begin separating the believers from the non-believers and where the earth opens to hell for the non-believers. The person, Jesus, in this vision appears on clouds in the sky where He will rule the new heaven on earth. These would be spectacular sensory proofs of the legitimacy of the appearance of the return of Christ. Physical recognition would certainly be hard to avoid but would not necessarily enhance the spiritual disposition of any of the observers.

Another type of physical proof for the return of the Messenger is the appropriateness of the guidance He brings. For example, Jesus directed His followers to love and include everyone in the covenant, even the Romans. The guidance was both spiritual and practical for the creation of western civilization.

When speaking of how to determine a false prophet from one sent by God, Jesus said, "Ye shall know them by their fruits" (Christianity. Matthew 7:16). You will know them by the results of their teachings and actions. Reason is not a conclusive proof of the validity or nature of the Messenger. It does, however, provide a method of approach. Reason can read the signs of legitimacy. It can perceive consistency with respect to values and actions.

For example, Baha'u'llah teaches that God has provided Messengers to all peoples and therefore all religions are essentially one religion presented by different Messengers who addressed the various needs of the peoples of their times. Reason provides four possibilities for the nature of religious revelation in this regard. First, one of the Messengers is true and the rest are false. Second, all of them are false. Third, some of them are true and some are false. Fourth, all of them are true. Given a belief in the justice and benevolence of God, the forth option is the most reasonable. If God provided guidance from and access to Himself for one of the populations of the earth, it is reasonable to expect that He would also provide it for the others. The third option is true is false prophets are included in the analysis. Since there are individuals who claim to be prophets of God who are not, it is also reasonable to expect that God has endowed us with the capacity to discern the difference.

Traditional proofs of the legitimacy of a Messenger rest upon interpretation of scripture. This, as in the case of sensory and rational proofs, is not the realm of perfection. It is the domain of both personal and institutional (historical) expectations of the return that are derived from scripture. Baha'u'llah, in the Book of Certitude, explains a passage of the Gospel of Matthew that addresses the signs that will appear announcing the return of Christ.

Immediately after the oppression of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the earth shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet. (Matthew 24: 29-31)

He dedicates the first half of the book to explanations of this verse. His explication is not intended to be a comprehensive treatment even of this passage of scripture but is a demonstration of the nature of scriptural interpretation particularly with respect to understanding the return of the Messenger. Scripture, in general, is infinitely meaningful. Every individual derives her own understanding and inspiration from scripture that corresponds to her unique approach to God. This also applies to our individual expectation concerning the return of a Messenger.

Certitude for an individual concerning the return is arrived at through communication with God over the signs He presents to us personally. The dialog is a question and answer session. The question is generally in the form of a doubt or a discrepancy that we hold with respect to scriptural expectations. Communion and certitude result to the degree we submit to whatever God intends and we listen with the sincerity of our being for guidance.

The requirement of confirmation from the Spirit of God to establish certitude and the fact that the knowledge it provides is above reason leads some to conclude that faith may violate reason. However, spiritual certitude, though beyond conceptual understanding does not contradict reason. The concept of blind faith is sometimes used to rationalize theologies that contradict science and reason. Some see their willingness to give up reason in their tenacious hold on particular ideologies or dogmas as a sign of faith. Abdul'Baha states that, "By faith is meant, first, conscious knowledge, and second, the practice of good deeds" (The Divine Art of Living, 48).

The admonishments to "know thyself" and "to thine own self be true" are references to conscious knowledge. Selfknowledge is not fundamentally the intellectual or emotional knowledge we hold about our selves. It is awareness of our selves. Faith in God is likewise knowledge of God as He makes Himself known to us. Faith in God is similar to the knowledge of others that we refer to as love. Love is awareness of another, a profound respect and appreciation, a celebration of the soul. Faith in God is knowing God.

With respect to Baha'u'llah's claim to be the Messenger of God, an individual does not need to abandon reason to acknowledge its truth. In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, a leading figure in the Baha'i Faith (see page 187), he advocates the use of reason in the search for faith.

He does not ask us to follow Him blindly….God has endowed man with a mind to operate as a torchlight and guide him to the truth. Read His Words consider His Teachings and measure their value in the light of contemporary problems and the truth will surely be revealed to you…and you will appreciate the truth of His Mission, as well as the true spirit He creates in whosoever follows His ways. (Lights of Guidance, 474)

Those who earnestly seek God find Him. "Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you" (Christianity. Matthew 7:7).

That which is preeminent above all other gifts, is incorruptible in nature, and pertaineth to God Himself, is the gift of Divine Revelation. Every bounty conferred by the Creator upon man, be it material or spiritual, is subservient unto this. It is, in its essence, and will ever so remain, the Bread which cometh down from Heaven. It is God's supreme testimony, the clearest evidence of His truth, the sign of His consummate bounty, the token of His all-encompassing mercy, the proof of His most loving providence, the symbol of His most perfect grace. He hath, indeed, partaken of this gift of God who hath recognized His Manifestation in this Day. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, 195)

Baha'u'llah was taken to a prison in Tehran. It was an early episode among the many persecutions He experienced throughout His life. A crowd had gathered to jeer at Him. His response to one of those who wanted to inflict injury on Him is reminiscent of the attitude Jesus had toward the ignorance of similar behavior directed toward Him.

Among the crowd, which hurled abuse at Baha'u'llah and pelted Him with stones, was an old woman. She stepped forward with a stone in her hand to strike at Him. Although frenzied with rage, her steps were too weak for the pace of the procession. "Give me a chance to fling my stone in His face," she pleaded with the guard. Baha'u'llah turned to them and said, "Suffer not this woman to be disappointed. Deny her not what she regards as a meritorious act in the sight of God." Such was the measure of His compassion. (Balyuzi, The King of Glory, 78)

This story from the life of Baha'u'llah expresses the patience and humility with which the Messengers of God articulate the Message of a new dispensation into the fabric of the expectations of individuals and institutions. Our rejection of the grace and guidance of the Messengers results in unnecessary suffering for Them and us. The Messengers respond with the boundless forgiveness and love of God.