Baá'í Fundamentals

*The Manifestations of God
*Baha'u'llah-Our Father in Heaven
*The Word of God
*Heaven/Hell/Reincarnation
*9 Sacred Duties
*Houses of Worship
*The 19-Day Feast
*Jesus-The Very Savior of Man
*Christianity
*The Son of God
*The 3 Ranks of the Manifestations
*The Lord of the Vineyard
*The Spirit of Truth

The Manifestations of God

Baha'is believe in certain Major Prophets they refer to as "Manifestations of God". They include:

*Adam
*Noah
*Abraham
*Moses
*Krishna
*Zoroaster
*Buddha
*Jesus
*Muhammed
*The Bab
*Baha'u'llah

Baha'is believe that in one sense all of these Manifestation of God are equal, but in another sense they have various ranks or stations. All of them had unique missions to perform on earth.

Baha'u'llah~Our Father in Heaven

Baha'is believe that Baha'u'llah is our "Heavenly Father". He is God the Father. Baha'is do not believe that the Essence of God can incarnate. However, Baha'is believe that Baha'u'llah is the Manifestation of the "Father"; just as Yeh'o'shua (Jesus' true name) was the Manifestation of the "Son". The relationship of the Messengers of God with the Son (Jesus) and the Father (Baha'u'llah) is explained in Jesus' Parable of the Lord of the Vineyard in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 12.

God is Spirit (John 4:24), but that Spirit can become a God-Man. Jesus was a God-Man. Baha'u'llah was a God-Man. Jesus came in the station of the Son. Baha'u'llah came in the station of the Father. Each has a distinct mission to perform. Jesus came to offer Himself as a sacrifice to God to save our souls from Hell. Baha'u'llah came to unite Humanity to save us as a WHOLE from the Day of Doom.

The Word of God

Baha'is believe that the Bible is the Word of God, but not the only Word of God. Baha'is accept the Qur'an and the Holy Writings (Baha'i books of scripture) as the Word of God along with the Bible.

Heaven/Hell/Reincarnation

Baha'is do not believe that "Heaven" or "Hell" are literal geographical places, but conditions of the soul. When we die we go on to the next World. If our souls have the condition of Heaven then the next world will appear as Heaven. If our soul in this life is in the condition of Hell then the next world will appear as Hell.

Baha'is believe that "Hell" is a condition of the soul, but that even the most evil souls can (but not necessarily will) progress in the Afterlife and change their condition from "Hell" to "Heaven". This change does not take place by merely "wishing" for the change, but when a soul begins to sincerely repent and take upon itself spiritual qualities. Evil men may outwardly appear "righteous" in this dimension, but in the next world spirituality cannot be faked or fabricated. Only those souls that truly have a desire to repent and serve God instead of "Self" will make progress in the Afterlife.


Paradise and Hell are conditions of the soul with become manfest in the Afterlife

Baha'u'llah wrote:

"O Son of Man!
If thou lovest Me, turn away from thyself; and if thou seekest My pleasure, regard not thine own; for thou mayest die in Me and I may eternally live in thee." (The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah #7)
Baha'is do not believe in the popular interpretation of "reincarnation"; that human spirits come back many times to this planet. This planet can be likened to a mother's womb. We come here one time only, and we do not return. However, lives on other planets are possible. Baha'u'llah made frequent reference to our "journey through the Worlds of God".

9 Sacred Duties

Baha'is basically have 9 sacred duties:

*Worshipping only the One True God.
*Keeping the Baha'i Holy Laws.
*Observing the Baha'i Holy Days.
*Praying at least once per day.
*Fasting during the daylight hours during the Baha'i Month of 'Ala.
*Teaching the Faith to others.
*Obeying the Universal House of Justice and other Baha'i Institutions.
*Giving a portion of their income to the Cause of God and to charity.
*Making at least one pilgrimage during their lives (if they are healthy and can afford it) to the Holy Baha'i Shrines in the Holy Land.

The 9-Pointed Star

A popular Baha'i symbol is the 9-pointed star. It represents the number 9; which for Baha'is is sacred. In Arabic, BAHA means "Glory". The letters B and H make the sound of "Baha"; which in Arabic means "Glory". Baha'is are the follower of BAHA.

BAHA means Glory.

BAHA'I means belonging to Glory.

In Arabic, as in Hebrew, each letter corresponds to a number. Thus...

B=2
A=1
H=5
A=1

If you ad B+A+H+A you get "9". The is the most sacred Baha'i number.

In the Book of Revelations it says that John saw 144,000 ruling in Heaven "with the Father's Name" written on their foreheads. In Gematra, the ancient science of Hebrew numbers, the meaning is this:

1+4+4="9"

0+0+0="a thousand"

In other words, the People of "9" shall reign for 1000 years.

The meaning is NOT that only 144,000 people will go to Heaven, but that a symbolic 144,000 shall enter the City of New Jerusalem; which shall come down from Heaven and be established on the earth. This is a symbol of the World Order of Baha'u'llah; build upon the 12 Foundations (Principles) of World Unity.

The City of New Jerusalem is a symbol of the World Order of Baha'u'llah. The Dispensation of Baha'u'llah will last 1000 solar years (from 1844 to 2844 A.D.). Then a new Manifestation of God shall come.

The 144,000 is a symbol of the Baha'is; those who "belong to" BAHA (9). Baha'u'llah is the Father, and the Baha'is belong to the Father, and have His Name written on their foreheads (a symbol of ownership).

Jesus said the "Son of Man" would come "in the Glory of His Father". In Arabic, Baha'u'llah means "The Glory of God (the Father)".

Paul wrote that there are 9 Gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8-10), and that there are 9 fruits of a Spirit-filled Believer (Galatians 5:22-23). The number 9 is the signature of the Holy Spirit.

Baha'i Houses of Worship

Baha'i Houses of Worship are nine-sided, and have 9 entrances. They are places of prayer, meditation, singing the praises of the Lord (without musical instruments), and the reciting of the Word of God. The Baha'i Temple in New Delhi, India, is a magnificent structure that receives more visitors per year than any other religious structure.


The Baha'i "Lotus Temple" near New Delhi, India

Eventually, Baha'i Houses of Worship (of various sizes) will be built in every city and town; with hospices, humanitarian centers, and schools surrounding them.

But today, Baha'is meet in the homes of other Baha'is for worship and social meetings, or in small buildings called "Baha'i Centers".

The 19-Day Feasts

19 is also a sacred number with Baha'is. The Baha'i year is divided into 19 months of 19 days each. Baha'is meet every 19 days for the "19-Day Feast"; sort of an Agape Feast for Baha'is. During the Badi Month of 'Ala (19 days) Baha'is fast during the daylight hours and break the fast at night during communal meals.

Jesus~The Very Savior of Man

Unlike Muslims, Baha'is DO believe that Jesus is the "Son of God". Like Muslims, they believe He was virgin-born. Like Muslims, they believe in His miracles. Unlike Muslims, they believe He was crucified and rose from the dead. Baha'is believe that Jesus is "the very Savior of man". (Promulgation of Universal Peace, p.63)

Baha'is believe that Jesus' mission was to offer Himself "as a ransom for the sins and iniquities of all mankind." (Gleanings, p.100). The mission of Baha'u'llah, however, was to unite Humanity into the literal Kingdom of God the Father on earth; otherwise known as the New Jerusalem.

Christians the world over believe that God's Kingdom will be established when Christ comes to rule as "King of kings" and "Lord of lords". Baha'is believe He has already returned: in the Person of Baha'u'llah.

To understand how Jesus could return "in" the Person of Baha'u'llah one must only continue reading.

Christianity

Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957 A.D.) was the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith. He was the grandson of 'Abdu'l-Baha and the great-grandson of Baha'u'llah. His interpretations of the Faith are inspired by the Holy Spirit, and thus binding upon all Baha'is everywhere. Regarding Christianity he wrote:

"As to the position of Christianity, let it be stated without any hesitation or equivocation, that is divine origin is unconditionally acknowledged, that the Sonship and Divinity of Jesus Christ are fearlessly asserted, that the divine inspiration of the Gospel is fully recognized,....The Founder of the Christian Faith is designated by Baha'u'llah as the 'Spirit of God', is proclaimed as the One Who 'appeared out of the breath of the Holy Ghost,' and is even extolled as the 'Essence of the Spirit.' His mother is described as 'that veiled and immortal, that most beauteous countenance,' and the station of her Son eulogized as the 'station which hath been exalted above the imaginings of all that dwell on the earth,'...." ( The Promised Day is Come, pp.109-10)

The Baha'i Faith is the fulfillment of Christianity just like Christianity is the fulfillment of Judaism.

The Son of God

Besides being a Manifestation of God, Baha'is also believe that Jesus was the "Son of God" and, as 'Abdu'l-Baha (Baha'u'llah's eldest son and Exemplar of the Faith) said, He was "the very Savior of man". (The Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp.62-3).

Baha'u'llah calls Jesus:

'Abdu'l-Baha calls Jesus: Baha'is accept that Jesus was born of a VIRGIN. It was a miracle; a supernatural act by the Holy Spirit. Jesus is not the only "Son of God", but the Only Virgin-born Son!

Jesus was unique among the Sons of God in that He was born of a virgin.

Louis G. Gregory, an African-American Baha'i who visited 'Abdu'l-Baha in Haifa, Israel, with a small group of American Baha'is, asked Him about Jesus' standing and station among the Manifestations of God. He is what Mr. Gregory recorded:

'Abdu'l-Baha: "Jesus is the Perfect Mirror, in which the bounties and Perfections of God are reflected. Jesus is not separate from God, since His is the perfection of Divine Knowledge."

Mr. Meakin asked: "Are not all the Prophets Manifestations reflecting the Word?"

'Abdu'l-Baha: "Yes, but the Word as reflected in Jesus has a special meaning. The Sun shines in all the months, but in July it is brightest." (Pilgrim's Notes of Loius G. Gregory, p.10 online)

The Three Ranks of the Manifestations

Baha'u'llah wrote that all the Manifestations of God were of equal rank in the Station of Essential Unity:

It is clear and evident to thee that all the Prophets are the Temples of the Cause of God, Who have appeared clothed in divers attire. If thou wilt observe with discriminating eyes, thou wilt behold them all abiding in the same tabernacle, soaring in the same heaven, seated upon the same throne, uttering the same speech, and proclaiming the same Faith. Such is the unity of those Essences of Being, those Luminaries of infinite and immeasurable splendour! Wherefore, should one of these Manifestations of Holiness proclaim saying: 'I am the return of 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." (Gleanings, pp. 51-2)
Yet Baha'u'llah speaks of another Station, the Station of Distinction:

"The other station is the station of distinction, and pertainieth to the world of creation, and the limitations thereof. In this respect, each Manifestation of God hath a distinct individuality, a definitely prescribed mission, a predestined revelation, and specially designated limitations. Each of them is known by a different name, characterized with a particular Revelation. Even as He saith: 'Some of the Apostles We have caused to excel the others. To some God hath spoken, some He hath raised and exalted. And to Jesus, Son of Mary, We gave manifest signs, and We strengthened Him with the Holy Spirit.' It is because of this difference in station and mission that the words and utterances flowing from these Wellsprings of Divine knowledge appear to diverge and differ. Otherwise, in the eyes of them that are initiated into the mysteries of Divine Wisdom, all Their utterances are, in reality, but the expressions of one Truth." (Gleanings, p.52)
The Holy Qur'an ("khoor-ran"), the Holy Book of Islam, says in one verse that no distinction should be made between the Messengers of God:
"No distinction do We make between any of them." (Qur'an 2:136)
Yet in another verse it says that the Messengers of God do not all have equal rank (station):
"Some of the Apostles We have caused to excel the others. To some God hath spoken, some He hath raised and exalted. And to Jesus, Son of Mary, We gave manifest signs [miracles], and We strengthened Him with the Holy Spirit." (Qur'an 2:253)

Baha'u'llah taught that all the Manifestation of God have _two stations_:

  1. The Station of Essential Unity
  2. The Station of Distinction
In the Station of Essential Unity, all the Manifestations of God are equal in rank. All of them are like perfect mirrors which reflect the Attributes of God. However, in the Station of Distinction their ranks are not equal. Baha'u'llah taught that in the Station of Distrinction the Manifestations of God have unequal ranks, different names, and unique missions on earth.

'Abdu'l-Baha taught that there were essentially three ranks among the Manifestations of God:

  1. Father
  2. Son
  3. Servant/Messenger
'Abdu'l-Baha wrote:
"You have asked me two questions: That if the same Spirit is manfest in all the Manifestations and Prophets, then what is the distinction or difference between Christ (or rather Jesus) and the other Prophets; also between Father and Son? Know that the human spirit is one, but it manifests itself in various members of the body in a certain (measure or) form. The human spirit is existent in the sight (eyes); it is also existent in the brain, which is the location of great functions and powers; it is also existent in the heart, which organ is largely connected with the brain of the center of the mind, and the heart, of that center which is connected with the brain, has a distinct and separate function, effect, and appearance. In this connection, the hair and nails have no command (or direct feeling). Figuratively speaking, the Father is the center of the brain and the Son is the center of the heart; the rest of the Prophets are members and parts." (Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Baha, pp.102-3)

Notice the three ranks:

  1. Father (Brain)
  2. Son (Heart)
  3. Other Prophets (other less important parts of the body)

The Lord of the Vineyard

In Jesus' Parable of the Lord of the Vineyard (Mark chapter 12) a man (the Father) plants a vineyard and rented it to husbandmen. Then the Father sends His servants (messengers) to tell the husbandmen(uninspired religious leaders) to clean up His vineyard and to prepare it for harvest. The husbandmen beat the servants (messengers) and send them back to the Lord of the Vineyard. Then the Lord of the Vineyard sends his only Son to the vineyard, and the hirelings kill the Son. Jesus said:

"6 Having yet therefore one Son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my Son.
7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be our's.
8 And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.
9 What shall therefore the Lord of the Vineyard do? He will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard to others." (Mark 12:6-9)
The Vineyard is the Holy Land. The Holy Land is otherwise known as "Israel" or "Palestine". The "man" is the Father who had but one beloved Son. The servants that the "man" sends are the Prophets of Israel. The Husbandmen are uninspired religious leaders, and they beat the Servants (Prophets) and chase them away. The only beloved Son is Jesus who was killed by the Husbandmen (the uninspired religious leaders). Jesus said that the "Lord of the Vineyard" will come Himself to the Vineyard and prepare it for harvest.

Jesus said that the Father Himself would come to this Earth! Specifically, the Holy Land!

The famous 19th century British Orientalist, Professor Edward G. Browne of Cambridge University, lived in Persia for one year and met many Babis and Baha'is. One day in the city of Yezd he had a conversation with the Baha'i poet 'Andalib. Here is a portion of that conversation:

'Andalib: "How is it that the Jews, although in expectation of their Messiah, failed to recognize him in the Lord Jesus?"

Browne: "Because they looked only at the letter and not the spirit of their books, and had formed a false conception of the Messiah and his advent."

'Andalib: "May not you Chrisitans have done the same with regard to Him whose-advent you expect, the promised Comforter? May He not have come, while you continue heedless? Within a few miles of Acca is a monastery of Carmelite monks, who have taken up their abode there to await the return of Christ, because their books tell them that He will return there. He has returned there, almost at the very door, yet they recognize Him not, but continue to gaze up to Heaven, whence, as they vainly suppose, He will descend. Consider the Parable of the Lord of the Vineyard which is contained in your Gospel. First, He sent His servants to demand His rights from those wicked men to whom the Vineyard was let; these were the prophets before Christ. Then He sent His own Son, whom they killed; this was Christ Himself, as you yourselves admit. And after that what shall the Lord of the Vineyard do? He will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the Vineyard unto others."

Browne:"Do you then regard Baha'u'llah as the Lord of the Vineyard, that is to say, as God Himself?"

'Andalib: "What say your own books? Who is He who shall come after the Son?" ( A Year Among the Persians, pp.433-434)

Christians all over the world expect the Son, Jesus, to return. Yet, Jesus Himself declared that the Father, the Lord of the Vineyard, Himself would come to this Earth! Specifically, the Holy Land ("The Vineyard of God")!

When Jesus (the Son) became incarnate (was born of a human woman) He said "I am in the Father and the Father is in me?" (John 14:11).

What did He mean by that?

The Father was in Jesus! And when the Father Himself would come, as Lord of the Vineyard, Jesus would be in Him!

This a a great Mystery, but it is the Truth.

If the Son of God can become a God-Man, so can His Father!

And He did!

He was born Mirza Husayn 'Ali Nuri; a descendant of the House of David and the Kings of Persia. He became known as Baha'u'llah: the "Glory of Allah". He was sent to the Holy Land (Vineyard) as a prisoner of the Sultan of Turkey. In the year 1890 He pitched His tent upon Mount Carmel (in Hebrew CARM-EL means "Vineyard of God"). In 1891 He recited the Tablet of Carmel, which was His Great Announcement to the World that the Kingdom of the Father had come.

Notice the three ranks, or stations, mentioned in Jesus' Parable of the Lord of the Vineyard:

  1. Father (Lord of the Vineyard)
  2. Son (the only begotten Son who is killed by the husbandmen)
  3. Servants (the messengers who are beaten and rejected by the husbandmen)
Baha'is believe that Baha'u'llah is the "Father"; the "Lord of the Vineyard". It is not a coincidence that the Baha'i World Centre is located on the north slope of Mount Carmel in the city of Haifa, in the State of Israel. In Hebrew, "Carm-El" means "Vineyard of God".


The ARC of the Baha'i World Centre, on the northern slopes of Mt. Carmel, Haifa, Israel

Jesus, in His Parable of the Lord of the Vineyard in Mark chapter 12 (and elsewhere), said that the Father would come to the Vineyard after the Son was sent, rejectd, and killed. The Father would come just as the Servants (Prophets) and the Son (Jesus) came! All the prophets of Israel, and Jesus, was born of a woman and mortal! The Father could come to Israel, and He would be born of a woman, and mortal!

The late Enoch Olinga, a Baha'i Hand of the Cause of God (apostle) and martyr for the Faith, said in 1980:

"These are the days that have witnessed the coming of the Lord of Hosts, the Lord of the Vineyard. We're all familiar with the story in the Bible, the parable where it says that Jesus Christ taught that there was once upon a time a lord or a kind who had a vineyard which had had left in the hands of his servants or workmen. This story is very familiar. Shoghi Effendi said it is important to know that the Lord Jesus Christ was referring to Baha'u'llah, the Lord of the Vineyard, Who will come. As Baha'is we know that He has come. He has come to bring love, peace, unity." ( A Life of Service, p.1 online)

The Very Savior of Man

'Abdu'l-Baha, the Interpreter and Exemplar of the Faith, declared that Jesus was "the very Savior of man" (Promulgation, p.63). What does this mean? 'Abdu'l-Baha (pronounced "obdul-bah-hah") also said of Jesus:

"He is the Alpha and Omega. He is the One that will give unto him that is athirst of the Fountain of the water of life and bestow upon the sick the remedy of true salvation." (Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha, pp.12-13)
'Abdu'l-Baha also said:
This is the real atonement that His Holiness Christ made--He sacrificed Himself for the life of the world." (Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Baha, p.543)

His Father, Baha'u'llah, wrote:

Know thou that when the Son of Man yielded up His breath to God, the whole creation wept with such a great weeping. By sacrificing Himself, however, a fresh capacity was infused into all created things.***Through Him the leper recovered from the leprosy of peversity and ignorance. Through Him, the unchaste and wayward were healed. Through His power, born of Almighty God, the eyes of the blind were opened, and the soul of the sinner sanctified." ( Gleanings, pp.85,86)
For Baha'is, Jesus' death not only saves our souls, but infuses into the dying Cosmos a fresh capacity of life.

Baha'u'llah also wrote of Jesus:

"He is it Who purified the world. Blessed is the man who, with a face beaming with light, hath turned toweard Him." (Gleanings, p.86)

God had asked Abraham to sacrifice his firstborn son as a sign of Jesus' coming sacrifice "as a ransom for the sins and iniquities of all the peoples of the earth" (Gleanings, p.76).

Jesus' mission among the Manifestations of God was to "purify the world" of sin. He did this by shedding His Blood on the Cross.


He is it Who purified the World

The Spirit of Truth

Many Christians reading this will ask, "But I already HAVE Jesus! I'm already SAVED! What need of I of Baha'u'llah?"

The only real answer that can be given is:

We need whatever the Lord says we need!

If all we need is Jesus' death on the Cross, then why do we need a Millennial Kingdom? Why do we need a final judgement? Why must the Father (the Lord of the Vineyard) come to the Holy Land? Why do we need a New Jerusalem on earth if Christians simply go to Heaven for all eternity when they die? Why?

Why do we need Baha'u'llah?

The answer is:

Because SALVATION is both personal and universal. What Jesus did 2000 years ago has to do with personal salvation; the salvation of the soul from the condition or dimension of Hell. But what the Father and the Son are doing now has to do with the salvation of the entire Human family. The Salvation of the WHOLE from the destruction of the Earth by fire.

Baha'is believe that Jesus Himself told His disciples of the coming of Baha'u'llah:

Jesus said:

However, when He, the Spirit of Truth has come. He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak of His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me..."(John 16:3)

Baha'u'llah wrote of Himself:

Verily, He Who is the Spirit of Truth is come to guide you unto all truth. He speaketh not as prompted by His own self, but as bidden by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise." (Lawh-i-Aqdas 11:4-5)

The purpose and mission of Baha'u'llah was to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Jesus told His disciples to pray, "Our Father in Heaven, Holy be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom come,....". Baha'is believe this is the "Kingdom" of the Father that Jesus was referring to. Baha'is seek to establish the "Millennial Kingdom of God".

Please remember, Jesus said:

1) The Father Himself is coming to the Holy Land. (Mark 12:1-9)

2) The Kingdom of the Father shall be established upon the EARTH as it is in Heaven. (Luke 11:2, etc.)

3) The Son of Man shall come "as a thief in the night" and "in the glory of His Father".

The Baha'is Faith is the KINGDOM OF GOD THE FATHER on earth.

Some will ask, "Why does Humanity need such a 'Kingdom'? Is Jesus is the Savior of my soul, why is such a Kingdom on earth necessary?"

A. To save Mankind as a WHOLE~as a living species~ from the final bowels of the 7~Bowl Judgment; from the righteous Wrath of God upon an unjust, cruel, hypocritical, and godless planet!

The Father has come to unite Humanity as One; to establish the Kingdom of God on earth that unites all nations, peoples, religions, into One People and One Faith. This is when "all things become as one". When Humanity becomes One then the Wrath of God will be averted, and Humanity will be saved from His Righteous Wrath and they will continue as a living species in order to spread across the Cosmos and bring divine civilization to other worlds and eventually other galaxies.

5. The 144,000

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