LordOfGoblins

Hi all.
One suspected misconception that I have recently come across is that one of Baha'u'llahs titles is 'the father', even I think my dad once told me. However, it appears to me that this is not the case. Can anyone give evidence from the writings where it supports that one of Baha'u'llah titles is "the 'father"? Remember we are trying to teach that Baha'u'llah is not literally the God of the Christian bible.
In light of the Christian prophecy that he would return "in the glory of the father". That is not the same thing as he would return "as the father".
They are two different things. One is saying he will return in Gods Glory or with Gods glory. The other is saying he will return as God (the father). Thank you guys, I know you are all more knowledgable than I am

arthra

I'm going to give this some of my attention which is a little on the short side right now...

But first I think when we discuss this issue with our Christian friends we need to be very clear that we have a view that the word "Son of God" or "Son" is a title of Jesus and not meaning a literal thing the way most Christians have been taught to believe..

It is true that Jesus refers to Himself as the Son of God, but this, as explained by Bahá'u'lláh in the Íqán, does not indicate any physical relationship whatever. Its meaning is entirely spiritual and points to the close relationship existing between Him and the Almighty God. Nor does it necessarily indicate any inherent superiority in the station of Jesus over other Prophets and Messengers. As far as their spiritual nature is concerned all Prophets can be regarded as Sons of God... (see Lights of Guidance 491)

Jesus Christ in the Bahá'í Writings, by Robert Stockman

So "Son of God" should be seen as signifying a spiritual relationship as one would say that God is close to me like a father is close to his son or I am close to God like a son would be with his father.

For many of us who have not had a father or even say a nominal father, this would be difficult to relate to. And so would be the term "Father" as a title of Baha'u'llah.

But let's see what we can find in the Writings or some Baha'i sources..

In prophecy:

O CONCOURSE of bishops! Trembling hath seized all the kindreds of the earth, and He Who is the Everlasting Father calleth aloud between earth and heaven. Blessed the ear that hath heard, and the eye that hath seen, and the heart that hath turned unto Him Who is the Point of Adoration of all who are in the heavens and all who are on earth...

~ Baha'u'llah, The Proclamation of Baha'u'llah, p. 93

To Israel He was neither more nor less than the
incarnation of the "Everlasting Father", the "Lord of
Hosts" come down "with ten thousands of saints"; to
Christendom Christ returned "in the glory of the Father";

~ Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 233



Bahá'u'lláh tells us that the "Coming" of the Lord of
Hosts, the Everlasting Father, the Maker and Redeemer of
the World, which, according to all the Prophets, is to take
place at "the time of the end," means no other than His manifestation
in a human temple, as he manifested through the
temple of Jesus of Nazareth, only this time with a fuller and
more glorious revelation, for which Jesus and all the former
Prophets came to prepare men's hearts and minds.

~ Dr. J.E. Esslemont, Baha'u'llah and the New Era, p. 212-213



"In accepting Bahá'u'lláh you have accepted Christ in His appearance as the Father, as He Himself so clearly foretold. The Catholic Church does not believe this on the contrary, it still awaits the return of Christ. If you decide, on order to be buried next to your dear husband, to return to the church you either would have to, in good faith, deny Bahá'u'lláh or you would be just using the Church as a means to satisfying a desire of your own, which would certainly not be an upright and conscientious thing to do!"

- From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, July 28, 1950

(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 473)

So when we accept Baha'u'llah we are accepting His appearance as the Father..

If the Son of Man was capable of infusing into apparently so crude and helpless an instrument such potency as to cause, in the words of Bahá'u'lláh, "the mysteries of wisdom and of utterance to flow out of his mouth," and to exalt him above the rest of His disciples, and render him fit to become His successor and the founder of His Church, how much more can the Father, Who is Bahá'u'lláh, empower the most puny and insignificant among His followers to achieve, for the execution of His purpose, such wonders as would dwarf the mightiest achievements of even the first apostle of Jesus Christ!

~ "The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 46

(Compilations, The Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 214)

There is majesty and power that exudes from Baha'u'llah in my view that one can sense from "The Summons of the Lord of Hosts" and that fulfills at least for me the Lord of Hosts in Psalm 24:10

"Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory."


and Everlasting Father mentioned in Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Lonemedic

Great question and nice response!

I like to also think of it as a symbolism of the greater intensity of the Revelation associated with the Second coming as compared to the first. (Father vs Son)

Baha'u'llah also says that with this Revelation the face of God Himself can be seen, whereas not in the past.

cire perdue

And further We have said: "He Who is the Father is come, and the Son (Jesus Christ), in the holy vale, crieth out: 'Here am I, here am I, O Lord, my God!',

(Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 57)

Without this quote the question is not answered to me. Baha'u'llah has come in the station of the Father is what I understand and this quote explains that. Eunice Braun explained this at a weekend confderence/meeting that was the backbone of consolidation in the 1970's in North Louisiana.

cire perdue

'Lo! The Lord is come in His great majesty!' He Who is the Father is come, and the Son (Jesus), in the holy vale, crieth out: 'Here am I, here am I, O Lord, My God!' whilst Sinai circleth round the House, and the Burning Bush calleth aloud: 'The All-Bounteous is come mounted upon the clouds! Blessed is he 28 that draweth nigh unto Him, and woe betide them that are far away.'

(Baha'u'llah, The Proclamation of Baha'u'llah, p. 27)

I read a paragraph of the Writings a.m. and p.m. which I think I managed to get set in my routine in the 1980's. I have read all of the Writings of Baha'u'llah that way. I just came across this and remembered the thread.

LordOfGoblins

Hello Lonemedic. When you have time can you please give the reference to the "face of God himself" can be seen. I am interested in reading it.
Thank you.

arthra

Some references to the "Face of God":


"The breezes of the Most Merciful have passed over all created things; happy the man that hath discovered their fragrance, and set himself towards them with a sound heart. Attire thy temple with the ornament of My Name, and thy tongue with remembrance of Me, and thine heart with love for Me, the Almighty, the Most High. We have desired for thee naught except that which is better for thee than what thou dost possess and all the treasures of the earth. Thy Lord, verily, is knowing, informed of all. Arise, in My Name, amongst My servants, and say: 'O ye peoples of the earth! Turn yourselves towards Him Who hath turned towards you. He, verily, is the Face of God amongst you, and His Testimony and His Guide unto you. He hath come to you with signs which none can produce.' The voice of the Burning Bush is raised in the midmost heart of the world, and the Holy Spirit calleth aloud among the nations: 'Lo, the Desired One is come with manifest dominion!'

~ Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 47

XIII. 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 persons of His chosen Ones. How often have they expected His coming, how frequently have they 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....

(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 17)

Here "Face of God" is mentioned in connection with Jesus:

Thus hath God laid hold of them for their sins, hath extinguished in them the spirit of faith, and tormented them with the flames of the nethermost fire. And this for no other reason except that Israel refused to apprehend the meaning of such words as have been revealed in the Bible concerning the signs of the coming Revelation. As she never grasped their true significance, and, to outward seeming, such events never came to pass, she, therefore, remained deprived of recognizing the beauty of Jesus and of beholding the Face of God. And they still await His coming! >From time immemorial even unto this day, all the kindreds and peoples of the earth have clung to such fanciful and unseemly thoughts, and thus have deprived themselves of the clear waters streaming from the springs of purity and holiness....

(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 19)

Lonemedic

I guess I need to correct what I said before... and I apologize for this error. All the Manifestations of God have been the expression of the Face of God. Of course, this Day's fuller expression is emphasized here:

"Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind can behold the Face, and hear the Voice, of the Promised One. The Call of God hath been raised, and the light of His countenance hath been lifted up upon men. It behoveth every man to blot out the trace of every idle word from the tablet of his heart, and to gaze, with an open and unbiased mind, on the signs of His Revelation, the proofs of His Mission, and the tokens of His glory.

Great indeed is this Day! The allusions made to it in all the sacred Scriptures as the Day of God attest its greatness. The soul of every Prophet of God, of every Divine Messenger, hath thirsted for this wondrous Day. All the divers kindreds of the earth have, likewise, yearned to attain it. No sooner, however, had the Day Star of His Revelation manifested itself in the heaven of God’s Will, than all, except those whom the Almighty was pleased to guide, were found dumbfounded and heedless."

Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Page 346