CHAPTER V
THE UNITY OF THE MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD
Beware, O believers in the Unity of God, lest ye be tempted to make any distinction between any of the Manifestations of His Cause, or to discriminate against the signs that have accompanied and proclaimed their Revelation...Be ye assured, moreover, that the works and acts of each and every one of these Manifestations of God, nay whatever pertaineth unto them, and whatsoever they may manifest in the future, are all ordained by God, and are a reflection of His Will and Purpose. Whoso maketh the slightest difference between their persons. their words. their messages. their acts and manners, hath indeed disbelieved in God. hath repudiated His signs. and betrayed the Cause of His Messenger." Baha’u’llah in Gleanings, pp. 59-60
The oneness of the Manifestations is often not stressed enough in the study of the Teachings of Baha’u’llah. All Manifestations reflect the same Holy Spirit, sometimes referred to as the Ancient Beauty or the Ancient of Days, terms used in reference to God Himself, because the Holy Spirit reflects the Word of God. In view of this truth, it is important for many Baha’is to reconsider their concept of the station of the Bab, because many believe He was only a Herald of Baha’u’llah. He was in every degree a Holy Manifestation of God, reflecting the will and purpose of God, proclaiming a Revelation direct from God. Moreover, the Bab Himself explains that all of the Manifestations of God prepare the way for the next Manifestation to appear, and are Heralds of the next Manifestation.
"It is clear and evident that the object of all preceding Dispensations hath been to pave the way for the advent of Muhammad, the Apostle of God. These, including the Muhammadan Dispensation, have had, in their turn, as their objective the Revelation proclaimed by the Qa’im (i.e. the Bab). The purpose underlying this Revelation, as well as those that preceded it, has, in like manner, been to announce the advent of the Faith of Him Whom God will make manifest (i.e. Baha’u’llah). And this Faith, --the Faith of Him Whom God will make manifest—in its turn, together with all the Revelations gone before it, have as their object the Manifestation destined to succeed it. And the latter, no less than all the Revelations preceding it, prepare the way for the Revelation which is yet to follow. The process of the rise and setting of the Sun of Truth will thus indefinitely continue -- a process which hath no beginning and will have no end." The Bab, cited in The World Order of Baha’u’llah, p. 117
In God Passes By, Shoghi Effendi says that the Revelation of Baha’u’llah will overshadow future Revelations for the next 500,000 years. This statement must be considered in relation to the above quotation of the Bab and Baha’u’llah. Taken literally this would indicate that future Revelations will be less than that revealed through Baha’u’llah, but this cannot be so. Every Manifestation manifests the Holy Spirit, that Ancient Beauty, and it is the same Holy Spirit. God cannot be overshadowed by God, the Holy Spirit is the same in every Revelation and cannot be overshadowed by Itself. Therefore, the intent is not the literal meaning. Consider carefully the following statement of the Bab, concerning future Revelations, which expresses the same principle of progressive Revelation taught by Baha’u’llah.
"...each Manifestation is more perfect than the last and includes all preceding ones(Vahid III:13) "...and each time the Divine Will returns with increased strength and fuller utterance "(Vahid III:12) "A new Manifestation comes as soon as the evolution of the human race has prepared men for it. "(Vahid VI:13) "...but only God knows when it will be "(Vahid VII:10, Vahid III:153) The Bab in the Persian Bayan, trans. by E. G.. Browne
The spiritual and intellectual evolution of humanity requires a fuller Revelation with each new Manifestation. However, there are certain teachings which might be considered absolutes for a certain period of time, since they cannot be exceeded until humanity reaches a certain level of social organization, scientific progress and spiritual development. Such teachings as world unity, universal education, the oneness of the human race, etc. are among those teachings which will be supported for an indefinite time. This is the intent of "overshadow". These Teachings are from God, but need not be extended until, perhaps, we attain superluminal communication with other planets (which today’s scientists say is impossible), circling other stars. Teachings that define social relations within the scope of world unity, and other universal teachings, will most certainly be extended. Teachings that concern our understanding of the universe and of our own spiritual essence and powers, wil1 be revealed. Human spiritual awareness of God will be increased with more advanced teachings, and the Kingdom of God will be established on earth.
TITLES GIVEN THE MANIFESTATIONS OF THE GREATEST NAME IN PR0PHECY
In Muslim eschatology (study of last, or final things) a general sequence of events regarding the Last Day, is as follows. This ‘schedule’ of events is repeated in the prophecies of Siyyid Kazim, one of the forerunners of the Bab and Baha’u’llah.
1. Appearance of antichrist (Karim Khan and Mirza Yahya)
2. Descent of Mahdi and Isa (the Bab and Baha’u’llah)
3. First blast of the trumpet (Revelation of the Bab, the ‘B’ of the Greatest Name.)
4. Second blast of the trumpet (Revelation of Baha’u’llah, the ‘H’ of the Greatest Name.)
5. Long interval, while people stand before God for judgement (period now reaching termination).
6. Judgement Day (literally, the collapse of this world civilization. Figuratively, the coming of the Manifestation of the third Letter "A" of the Greatest Name.)
7. The intercession for the faithful few by Muhammad (the ‘A’ of the Greatest Name, BHA’)
In Muslim traditions (from Muhammad and Ali) the three Manifestations of the Greatest Name are given titles that indicate their particular part of the Message of the Revelation of the Greatest Name. The first to appear is named the Mahdi, which means guided or enlightened One, who took the name Bab (Gate) at the beginning of His Revelation, but later declared that He was the Qa’im, the Promised One of all religions. (The name Bab was then bestowed upon Mullah Husayn, who was first called the Bab’ul’Bab, or gate of the Gate). The Bab declared that He was the ~B~, the first Letter of the Greatest Name. The Bab stated:
"Whatever is attributed to Me in this Paradise is exactly the same as those things attributed to Him Whom God will make manifest (i.e. Baha’u’llah). Will you not enter this Paradise?" Arabic Bayan
The second name is Isa, Who was to immediately follow the Qa’im. The name means the Christ Spirit, and indicates the powerful spiritual nature of the Revelation given through Baha’u’llah. Baha’u’llah also laid the foundations of the future World Order of the new age, and gave an indication of the structure of the future world government. He said He represented the ‘H’ of the Greatest Name of God, BHA’ In the Quran Muhammad said that the coming of Isa would be the sign of the coming of the Hour of Judgement for humanity
"And Jesus (i.e. Isa) will be a Sign for the coming of the Hour of Judgement; therefore have no doubt about the Hour but follow ye Me; this is a Straight Way." Quran, XLIII:6l
After the time of Judgement (the Hour or the Appointed Hour), the third Letter of the Greatest Name is to appear, and His name in the traditions is Muhammad, or the Prophet. This is indicative of the role Muhammad played during His lifetime, as an organizer and lawgiver unparalleled in history (see Muhammad the Prophet by Maulana Muhammad Ali, Ripon Press, Lahore). Of course Muhammad also gave powerful spiritual teachings, and the third Letter, the Alif or ‘A’ will give those teachings which Baha’u’llah destroyed because mankind was not yet ready to receive them. In some Baha’i prayers the Names of the three Manifestations are given as the Most-Exalted, the All-Glorious, and the All-Highest, which, of course, are Names of God, and the Letters of the Greatest Name manifest the All-Mighty God.