Topic: The Manifestation of God
Page 1 This newsletter is dedicated to all seekers after the Eternal Truth.
Just Who and what is a Manifestation of God? It would be best to get
this answer from the Source, from One Who was Himself a Manifestation of
God.
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 theTreasuries of Divine knowledge, and the
epositories 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. .
. . . . These attributes of God are not, and have never been, vouchsafed
specially unto certain Prophets, and withheld from others. Nay, all the
Prophets of God, His well-favoured, His holy and chosen Messengers are, without
exception, the bearers of His names, and the enbodiments of His attributes.
They only differ in the intensity of their revelation, and the comparative
potency of their light. . . . It hath, therefore, become manifest and evident that within
the tabernacles of these Prophets and chosen Ones of God the light of His
infinite names and exalted attributes hath been reflected, even though the
light of some of these attributes may or may not be outwardly revealed from
these luminous Temples to the eyes of men. That a certain attribute of God hath
not been outwardly manifested by these Essences of Detachment doth in no wise
imply that they who are the Day Springs of God's attributes and the Treasuries
of His holy names did not actually possess it. Therefore, these illuminated
Souls, these beauteous Countenances have,each and every one of them, been
endowed with all the attributes of God, such as sovereignty, dominion,and the
like, even though to outward seeming they be shorn of all earthly majesty. . . 1
It is important to understand that They are chosen by God.
Noone can simply pray and study and aspire to to this high station. We can
only progress within the station which the Omniscent
Almighty God has chosen to confer upon us. For instance, even if Peter had
greatly desired and had dedicated his whole life to what he would have thought
necessary to become like Christ, he would have not only failed to achieve his
purpose, but he would have probably also harmed his own spiritual development
by trying to go beyond the station that God had chosen to confer upon him. No
Manifestation of God ever became One because He desired it or through any
efforts of His own. As Bahá'u'lláh wrote regarding His own
Manifestation: "Not of Mine own volition have I revealed Myself, but God,
of His own choosing, hath manifested Me."2 They were
chosen and were created in this station from the very beginning. The
following quote of the Báb's in an Epistle He wrote to Muhammad
Sháh while He was incarcerated in the mountain fortress of
Máh-Kú eloquently describes this difference between Himself as a
Manifestation of God and the rest of humanity, the importance of His station,
and how it relates to us: The substance wherewith God hath created Me is not the clay out
of which others have been formed. He hath conferred upon Me that which the
worldly-wise can never comprehend, nor the faithful discover . . . I am one of
the sustaining pillars of the Primal Word of God. Whosoever hath recognized
Me, hath known all that is true and right, and hath attained all that is good
and seemly; and whosoever hath failed to recognize Me, hath turned away from
all that is true and right and hath succombed to everything evil and
unseemly.3
This last passage also points out the importance to our own
lives of our recognition and acceptance of the Manifestation ..The
Manifestations of God are the intermediary between God and man. Not only
doThey reveal for us God's laws and guidance, They are the only way we
have of knowing God and the Path to God always leads through Them. Therefore,
They are not only the means to the advancement of humanity in general, but
these spiritual "Suns of Reality" Who bring the Light of God into the world
also bring this Light into our individual lives. They are the only path to
our own personal salvation. Thus Christ says: "I am the way, the truth, and
the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me."4 and "All
things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the
Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever
the Son will reveal him."5 In the words of God's latest
Manifestation and Revealer of His Word, Baha'u'llah, "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."6 and: "The
first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the recognition of Him Who is
the Dayspring of His Revelation and the Fountain of His laws, Who representeth
the Godhead in both the Kingdom of His Cause and the world of creation. Whoso
achieveth this duty hath attained unto all good; and whoso is deprived thereof
hath gone astray, though he be the author of every righteous
deed."7
Bahá'u'lláh continues on the subject of His
station, explaining more fully the purpose of the Manifestations of God, the
reason for Their existence, the Source of Their power and authority, our
relationship to Them, and why our recognition and acceptance of Them isso important.
. . .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
Manifestation of God amidst men, the evidences of His Truth, and the signs of
His glory.8
If any question remains that the Manifestations of God have come
for our benefit, the next two passages should dispell any doubts.
'Abdu'l-Bahá states:
. . . the purpose of the Manifestation of God and the dawning of the limitless
lights of the Invisible is to educate the souls of men, and refine the
character of every living man--so that blessed individuals, who have freed
themselves from the murk of the animal world, shall rise up with those
qualities which are the adornings of the reality of man. The purpose is that
earthlings should turn into the people of Heaven, and those who walk in
darkness should come into the light, and those who are excluded should join the
inner circle of the Kingdom, and those who are as nothing should become
intimates of the everlasting Glory. It is that the portionless should gain
their share of the boundless sea, and the ignorant drink their fill from the
living fount of knowledge; that those who thirst for blood should forsake their
savagery, and those who are barbed of claw should turn gentle and forbearing,
and those who love war should seek instead for true conciliation; it is that
the brutal, their talons razor-sharp, should enjoy the benefits of lasting
peace; that the foul should learn that there is a realm of purity, and the
tainted find their way to the rivers of holiness.9
and in the words of His Holiness Bahá'u'lláh:
The Divine Messengers have been sent down, and their Books
were revealed, for the purpose of promoting the knowledge of God, and of
furthering unity and fellowship amongst men.10
The Manifestation of God is the ultimate example of selflessness and
servitude. These "Essences of Detachment" completely give up all traces of
Their own selves in order to become the perfect Mirrors of all of God's
qualities and attributes. They completely subjugate Their own will in total
servitude to God's will Thus Christ said: "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him
that sent me."11 And, in the words of the Báb, "Verily
I am none other but the servant of God and His Word, and none but the first to bow down in supplication before God, the Most Exalted; and
indeed God witnesseth all things."12 Thus God's Religion and
Cause is advanced and everyone in heaven and earth benefit
enormously thereby. Not only that but, despite the incredibly large debt of
gratitude which each and every one of us owes to all of them, still, when they
come to us, so many of us are responsible for inflicting incredible and
horrible sufferings on these gentle and wonderful Souls and are capable of
causing them unbearable pain and sorrow. As the Báb wrote concerning
God's Message to Him regarding His Own Mission and Message: "Proclaim that
which hath been sent down unto Thee as a token of the grace of the merciful
Lord, for if Thou do it not, Our secret will never be made known to the people
[cf. Qur'án5:71.], while the purpose of God in creating man is but for
him to know Him."13 Bahá'u'lláh also comments on the blindness of
those among whom the Manifestations appeared and of how poorly these Holy Ones
were received by these same people:
Consider the past. How many, both high and low, have, at
all times, yearningly awaited the advent of the Manifestations of God in the
sanctified person of His chosen Ones. How often have they expected His coming,
how frequently they have prayed that the breeze of divine mercy might blow, and
the promised Beauty step forth from behind the veil of concealment, and be made
manifest to all the world. And whensoever the portals of grace did open, and
the clouds of divine bounty did rain upon mankind, and the light of the Unseen did shine above the horizon of
celestial might, they all denied Him, and turned away from His face --the face
of God Himself. Refer ye, to verify this truth, to that which hath been
recorded in every sacred Book.14
Later in the same Book, He adds:
Should you acquaint yourself with the indignities heaped upon the
Prophets of God, and apprehend the true causes of the objections voiced by
their oppressors, you will surely appreciate the significance of their
position. Moreover, the more closely you observe the denials of those who have
opposed the Manifestations of the divine attributes, the firmer will be your
faith in the Cause of God . . . throughout all ages and centuries the
Manifestations of power and glory have been subjected to such heinous cruelties
that no pen dare describe them. . . 15
And further: Ponder for a moment, and reflect upon that which hath been
the cause of denial on the part of those who have searched with such
earnestness and longing. Their attack hath been more fierce than tongue or pen
can describe. Not one single Manifestation of Holiness hath appeared but He
was afflicted by the denials, the repudiation, and the vehement opposition of
the people around Him. Thus it hath been revealed: "O the misery of men! No
Messenger cometh unto them but they laugh Him to scorn." ( Qur'án
36:30.) Again He saith: "Each nation hath plotted darkly against their
Messenger to lay violent hold on Him, and disputed with vain words to
invalidate the truth." ( Qur'án 40:5.)16
Why are so many unable to perceive the Truth and instead,
in their blindness and ignorance inflict such suffering on Those Who came with
the gifts of God's Word and eternal life? The following quotations may shed
some light on this perplexing question:
It is evident that the changes brought about in every
Dispensation constitute the dark clouds that intervene between the eye of man's
understanding and the divine Luminary which shineth forth from the dayspring of
the divine Essence. Consider how men for generations have been blindly
imitating their fathers, and have been trained according to such ways and
manners as have been laid down by the dictates of their Faith. Were these men,
therefore, to discover suddenly that a Man, Who hath been living in their
midst, Who,with respect to every human limitation, hath been their equal, had
risen to abolish every established principle imposed by their aith--principles
by which for centuries they have been disciplined, and every opposer and denier
of which they have come to regard as infidel, prolifigate and wicked,--they
would of a certainty be veiled and hindered from acknowledging His truth..
Such things are as "clouds" that veil the eyes of those whose inner being
hath not tasted the Salsabíl of detachment, nor drunk from the
Kawthar of the knowledge of God. Such men, when acquainted
with these circumstances, become so veiled that without the least question, they
pronounce the Manifestation of God an infidel, and sentence Him to death. You
must have heard of these things taking place all down the ages. .
.17
. . .from time immemorial even unto eternity the
Almighty hath tried, and will continue to try, His servants, so that light may
be distinguished from darkness, truth from falsehood, right from wrong,
guidance from error, happiness from misery, and roses from thorns. Even as He
[Muhammad] hath revealed: "Do men think when they say 'We believe' they shall
be let alone and not be put to proof?" [ Qur'án 29:2.]18
Why then, is it that despite the expectation of men
in their quest of the Manifestations of Holiness, and in spite of the signs
recorded in the sacred books, should such acts of violence, of oppression and
cruelty, have been perpetrated in every age and cycle against all the Prophets
and chosenOnes of God? Even as He [Muhammad] hath revealed: "As
oft as an Apostle cometh unto you with that which your souls desire not, ye
swell with pride, accusing some of being imposters and slaying others." [
Qur'án 2:87.]19
In addition, we should never forget that, whether speaking and
writing as God Himself or as God's Messenger and the Revealer of His Word, what
They tell us does indeed come from God Himself as attested to by the following
quotations:
O concourse of light! By the righteousness of God, We speak
not according to selfish desire, nor hath a single letter of this Book been
revealed save by the leave of God, the Sovereign Truth. Fear ye God and
entertain no doubts regarding His Cause, for verily, the Mystery of this Gate
is shrouded in the mystic utterances of His Writ and hath been written beyond
the impenetrable veil of concealment by the hand of God, the Lord of the
visible and the invisible.20
. . .I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught
me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not
left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. 21
*********
1 Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings From the Writings
of Baha'u'llah, pp. 47-49. 2Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the
Wolf, pp. 11-12. 3 TheBáb, Selections from the Writings of the
Báb, p. 11. 4 John 14:6. 5 Matthew 11:27. 6 Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings From the Writings of
Baha'u'llah, p. 49 7 Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p.
19 8 Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings From the Writings of
Baha'u'llah, , pp. 49-50. 9 'Abdu'l-Bahá,Selections from the Writings
of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, pp. 10-11. 10 Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf,
p. 12. 11 John 6:38. 12TheBáb, Selections From the Writings of the
Báb, p. 61. 13 TheBáb, Selections From the Writings of the
Báb, p. 62. 14Bahá'u'lláh,The
Kitáb-i-Iqán , p.4. 15 Bahá'u'lláh,The
Kitáb-i-Iqán , p.6. 16 Bahá'u'lláh, The
Kitáb-i-Iqán, pp.4-5. 17 Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Iqán,
pp. 73-74. 18 Bahá'u'lláh,The
Kitáb-i-Iqán, pp. 8-9. 19 Bahá'u'lláh,The
Kitáb-i-Iqán p. 13. 20 TheBáb, Selections From the Writings of the
Báb, p. 57. 21 John 8:28-29.
