Manifestation of God

Explanation of the Term

The term "Manifestation of God" should be understood as the return of certain heavenly attributes and perfections

"In the Holy Books and Sacred Scriptures there is mention of a “return”, but the ignorant have failed to grasp its meanings and have imagined it to refer to reincarnation. For what the Prophets of God meant by “return” is not the return of the essence but of the attributes; it is not the return of the Manifestation Himself but of His perfections. In the Gospel it is said that John the son of Zacharias is Elijah. By these words is not meant the return of the rational soul and personality of Elijah in the body of John, but rather that the perfections and attributes of Elijah became plain and manifest in him.

"A lamp was lit in this room last night: When another lamp is lit tonight, we say that the light of last night is shining again. When the water that had ceased to flow from a fountain flows a second time, we say that it is the same water flowing once again, or we say that this light is the same as the former light. Likewise, last spring flowers and sweet-scented herbs bloomed and delicious fruits were produced; next year we say that those delicious fruits and those blossoms, flowers, and sweet herbs have returned. It is not that the very same constituents of last year’s flowers, after decomposing, have recombined and returned. No, the meaning is that the same freshness and delicacy, the same pleasing fragrance and wondrous colour that characterized last year’s flowers are to be exactly found in the flowers of this year. Briefly, the point is the resemblance and similarity between the former and the latter flowers. This is the “return” which is mentioned in the heavenly Scriptures. It is fully explained by Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Íqán: Refer to it, that you may be informed of the truth of the divine mysteries."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, ch. 81, pars. 14-15.)

See also

• Kitáb-i-Íqán#The_interpretation_of_the_Return_and_last_days_is_covered_in_the_Íqán

Awareness of Their own station

Manifestations Had Some Consciousness of Their Station

"The Manifestations no doubt had some consciousness of Their station, but what the nature of that consciousness was we do not know."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, November 19, 1945: Bahá’í News, No. 210, August 1948, p. 3, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1698)

Christ, the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá knew about Their missions from early childhood

"The Holy Spirit was always with Christ. He knew about His mission from early childhood."

(Words of Abdu'l-Bahá: Star of the West, Vol. XIV, p. 274; in Lights of Guidance, no. 1642)

"Question: "Did Jesus first realize his mission when the Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove?"

"'Abdu'l-Bahá: "The Holy Spirit was always with Christ."

"Question: "Did he know of it?"

"'Abdu'l-Bahá: "It was hidden from others, but manifest to him. The story about the dove is simply a metaphor. No dove came down. Amongst the people, the Baptist felt that the Holy Spirit was in Christ. The Holy Spirit was always with Christ. He knew about his mission from early childhood."

"Question: "Did the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá also know of their mission from early childhood?"

"'Abdu'l-Bahá: "Yes."

"Question: "In a book I read that at the age of twenty-four the Báb realized his mission."

"'Abdu'l-Bahá: "From childhood it was apparent to him, like the sun. The people felt his greatness although they did not know about his future.""

(From notes sent to America by Mr. Fugeta, in Star of the West, vol. 14, issue 9, p. 274)

Bahá'u'lláh not aware of His station before experience in the Siyáh-Chál

"Bahá'u'lláh was not aware of His own station prior to His experience in the Siyáh-Chál of Tiherán. He himself says so by implication in His Tablet to the Sháh."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Messages to the Antipodes, 15 March 1948)

See also

• Per the above note, Dawn-Breakers, p. 32, https://bahai-library.com/uhj_sdc_capital_punishment#s7 , and Memorials of the Faithful, p. 49 and 54, Bahá'u'lláh apparently was aware to some degree of His station before His Revelation in the Siyáh-Chál (with others discovering this to some degree)

Symbolism behind the entities used to portray the Manifestation of God first receiving Their mission

Explanation of Bahá'u'lláh saying He was asleep is a metaphor showing how Manifestations are silent like sleeper before Their declaration

"We come to the explanation of the words of Bahá'u'lláh when He says: "O king! I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing."+F1 [+F1 Extract from the letter to Násiri'd-Dín Sháh.] This is the state of manifestation: it is not sensible; it is an intellectual reality, exempt and freed from time, from past, present and future; it is an explanation, a simile, a metaphor and is not to be accepted literally; it is not a state that can be comprehended by man. Sleeping and waking is passing from one state to another. Sleeping is the condition of repose, and wakefulness is the condition of movement. Sleeping is the state of silence; wakefulness is the state of speech. Sleeping is the state of mystery; wakefulness is the state of manifestation.

"For example, it is a Persian and Arabic expression to say that the earth was asleep, and the spring came, and it awoke; or the earth was dead, and the spring came, and it revived. These expressions are metaphors, allegories, mystic explanations in the world of signification.

"Briefly, the Holy Manifestations have ever been, and ever will be, Luminous Realities; no change or variation takes place in Their essence. Before declaring Their manifestation, They are silent and quiet like a sleeper, and after Their manifestation, They speak and are illuminated, like one who is awake.

(Some Answered Questions, pp. 85-86)

The dove which descended on Christ was not a material dove but a spiritual state (as with God appearing as a pillar of fire in the Old Testament)

"...the dove which descended upon Christ was not a material dove, but it was a spiritual state, which, that it might be comprehensible, was expressed by a sensible figure. Thus in the Old Testament it is said that God appeared as a pillar of fire: this does not signify the material form; it is an intellectual reality which is expressed by a sensible image."

(Some Answered Questions, p. 85)

Impossibility of people being taught to become the Promised One

• Esotericism#Ignorance_in_belief_that_a_boy_can_be_taught_in_schools_to_become_the_promised_one_.28God_must_instead_choose.29

The Prophet is omniscient at will (not just guided by God)

"He [the Guardian] likes to be provided with facts by the friends, when they ask his advice, for although his decisions are guided by God, he is not, like the Prophet, omniscient at will, in spite of the fact that he often senses a situation or condition without having any detailed knowledge of it...."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 4 March 1948, Unfolding Destiny, p. 449; quote also cited in different citation in Lights of Guidance, no. 1050)

(Lack of invincibility of the Prophets)

Even the Prophets of God sometimes got tired and cried out in despair

"We must not only be patient with others, infinitely patient!, but also with our own poor selves, remembering that even the Prophets of God sometimes got tired and cried out in despair!"

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 22 October 1949, Unfolding Destiny, p. 456)

The Prophets of God suffered agony when the Spirit of God descended on Them and commanded Them to arise and preach

"You have voiced the same suffering, the sign of the same mystery, as has been voiced by almost all those who have been called upon to serve God. Even the Prophets of God, we know, suffered agony when the Spirit of God descended on Them and commanded Them to arise and preach. Look at Moses saying, "I am a stutterer!". Look at Muhammad rolled in His rug in agony! The Guardian himself suffered terribly when he learned he was the one who had been made the Guardian.

"So you see your sense of inadequacy, your realisation of your own unworthiness is not unique at all. Many, from the Highest to the humblest have had it. Now the wisdom of it is this: it is such seemingly weak instruments that demonstrate that God is the Power achieving the victories and not men. If you were a wealthy, prominent, strong individual who knew all about Africa and looked upon going out there as fun, any service you render, and victories you have, would be laid to your personality, not to the Cause of God! But because the reverse is true, your services will be a witness to the Power of Bahá'u'lláh and Truth of His Faith.

"Rest assured, dear sister, you will ever-increasingly be sustained, and you will find joy and strength given to you, and God will reward you. You will pass through these dark hours triumphant. The first Bahá'í going on such an historic mission could not but suffer--but the compensation will be great....

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 11 January 1951, Unfolding Destiny, p. 459)

Had the Prophets, 'Abdu'l-Baha, and Shoghi Effendi had fewer problems and worries, they could have given more creatively

"What the Master meant in the words you quoted is simply that joy gives one more freedom to create; if the Prophets, the Master Himself, and the Guardian, had less problems and worries, They could give forth a great deal more creatively to the Cause. When He said that "grow to be as a fruitful tree" he meant that, by lifting burdens from the Guardian and trying as much as possible to do our share of the work of the Faith, we would help Shoghi Effendi to develop his full powers as Guardian and, through the Covenant, the Cause would spread its shadow over all men. This we have seen happen in the last 30 years, but that does not mean we must not try to our utmost to help him by our lives and our services."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 5 October 1952, Unfolding Destiny, p. 461)

See also

• Promised One
• Prophets
• Manifestation

To-dos for this page

• Include any further quotes about Dove on Christ, Baha'u'llah from sleep, etc.; compare to Christ speaking as babe per Qur'an, etc.