Progressive Revelation
Baha'is
believe that throughout history the Creator has revealed Himself
and His Teachings to humanity through a series of Divine Messengers.
The Mission of these Emissaries from God is to educate and train
the souls of human beings. These Messengers or Teachers have come
to all people and parts of the planet.
Baha'is believe that there is, in essence, only one religion
and all the Messengers of God have progressively revealed its
nature. These religions are as chapters of the same book, are
as gems which are linked together by a golden chain. God has never
left humanity without guidance, nor, the Baha'is believe, will
He ever stop sending Messengers.
There will be others coming after Baha'u'llah, until the end
of time. Baha'u'llah has specifically stated that another Teacher
will not appear sooner than a thousand years. Until that time,
the Baha'is believe Baha'u'llah has brought the guidance that
humanity needs.
Together, the world's great religions are expressions of a single
unfolding Divine plan: "the changeless Faith of God, eternal
in the past, eternal in the future." --Baha'u'llah, Gleanings,
p. 136
The study of religious history shows a recurring cycle characterized
by the appearance of the Messenger, rejection by the people around
Him, the ultimate acceptance of His Teachings, the building of
a civilization based on them, its decline, then a religious rebirth
through the coming of a new Messenger.
The Baha'is believe that the continual appearances of the Messengers
of God are the source of spiritual renewal and human development
to humankind. With every new impulse of revelation from God comes
larger and larger circles of unity. So far, humanity has successfully
established the unities of clan, of tribe, of agricultural village,
of city-state, and of nation.
No matter when and where it appeared, each religion predicted
the coming of a unique Promised One of all ages. This is the Messenger
that would bring about the logical next step for human development
after nationhood, that of creating the largest circle of unity,
that of the entire world.
Baha'is believe that Baha'u'llah is that Promised One foretold
in all the Holy Scriptures. They have examined the prophecies
and the proofs and concluded that He is that One.
For Baha'is of Jewish background, Baha'u'llah is the appearance
of the promised "Lord of Hosts" come down "with
ten thousands of saints." A descendent of Abraham and a "scion
from the root of Jesse," Baha'u'llah has come to lead the
way for nations to "beat their swords into plowshares."
Baha'u'llah's involuntary exile to the Holy Land, along with other
historical events, both during Baha'u'llah's lifetime and afterward,
are seen as fulfilling many prophecies in the Bible.
For Baha'is of Buddhist background, Baha'u'llah fulfills the
prophecies for the coming of "a Buddha named Maitreye, the
Buddha of universal fellowship" who will, according to Buddhist
traditions, bring peace and enlightenment for all humanity. They
see the fulfillment of many prophecies, such as the fact that
the Buddha Maitreye is to come from "the West." Iran,
the birthplace of Baha'u'llah, is West of India.
For Baha'is of Hindu background, Baha'u'llah comes as the return
of Krishna, the "Tenth Avatar" and the "Most Great
Spirit." He is "the birthless, the deathless,"
the One who, "when goodness grows weak, "returns"
in every age" to "establish righteousness" as promised
in the Bhagavad-Gita.
For Baha'is of Zoroastrian background, Baha'u'llah is the promised
"Shah Bahram" and "Saoshyant." Baha'u'llah
was a descendent of the Persian king, Yazdegerd the third, and
the One foretold by God's Messenger, Zoroaster, in His prophecy
many centuries ago: "When a thousand two hundred and some
years have passed from the inception of the religion of Arabians
and the overthrow of the Kingdom of Iran and the degradation of
the followers of My religion, a descendent of Iranian Kings will
be raised up as a prophet." --Denkart, ATMN, p. 171
For Baha'is of Christian background, Baha'u'llah fulfills the
promises of Christ's return "in the Glory of the Father"
and "Comforter" and "Spirit of Truth."
The fact that the Faith was founded in 1844 relates to numerous
Christian prophecies, including Matthew 24:15, where Christ refers
to the prophecy of Daniel which Christian scholars have calculated
to work out exactly to that year.
Another prophecy concerning 1844 is in Matthew 24:14 "And
this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world
for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."
Central Africa and China were finally opened to Christianity in
the 1840's, and that was widely seen by Christian scholars as
fulfilling the promise that Christ would return.
In 1844 the Edict of Toleration was signed, allowing the Jews,
who had been dispersed for nearly two thousand years, to return
to the Holy Land, thus fulfilling another prophecy: "until
the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled..." --Luke, 21:24
In Baha'u'llah's teachings and in the world-wide Baha'i community,
Baha'is see the fulfillment of Christ's promise to return and
bring all people together so that "there shall be one fold,
and one shepherd."
For Baha'is of Moslem background, Baha'u'llah fulfills the promise
of the Quran for the "Day of God" and the "Great
Announcement," when "God" will come down "overshadowed
with clouds." They see in the dramatic events of the Faith
the fulfillment of many traditional statements of Muhammad, which
have long been a puzzle.
For Baha'is of other backgrounds, such as the many indigenous
peoples of North and South America, Africa, Asia, the Pacific
Islands, and Australia whose religions have often referred to
a time when "all the tribes will be gathered into one tribe,"
and many other prophecies. Baha'u'llah fulfills their expectations,
and they have warmly embraced the Faith.
Having studied His life and teachings, many indigenous peoples
from every continent have concluded that Baha'u'llah, indeed,
is the Promised One of their own ancient faiths. Because they
have become Baha'is, they now accept the other Messengers of God
that Baha'u'llah refers to as well, such as Jesus Christ.
Next Section: Baha'i
History
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