The Word of God/The Revealed Word of God

The Revealed Word of God

Introduction

In the world of creation the Word of God is revealed in every age through the Manifestation of God and His Book. “In the days of Moses it was the Pentateuch; in the days of Jesus the Gospel; in the days of Muhammad the Messenger of God the Qur’4n; . . . and in the dispensation of Him Whom God will make manifest His own Book... .”4

In this lesson we will examine the nature and purpose of the revealed Verses of God.

1 Baha’u’llah, The Kitdb-i-fqan 199; “Him Whom God will make manifest” and “His own Book” refer to Bah4’u’ll4h and His Writings.

25 [Page 26]Overview

The Word of God in its revealed form has distinct qualities related to:

¢ the manner in which the Word is presented to humanity; « the ability of each person to recognize and understand it; and ¢ the purpose of the Word for individuals and society.

The Word comes to humanity from One Source—God. It is revealed progressively through a series of Divine Educators—the Manifestations of God. Its outward form reflects the language and culture of the people to whom the Word is sent. The measure of each Revelation is fitted to the needs of humanity and to the capacity of the people to understand. Its influence unfolds gradually.

All have the capacity to recognize the truth of the Word of God. However, the Word attracts the pure in heart and at the same time repels those who cannot accept it. The meaning of the Word of God can never be exhausted. Understanding it is not dependent on human learning, but on purity of heart and submission to God.

God’s purpose in revealing His Word is to educate humanity, both spiritually and materially. The individual learns about the divine qualities hidden in the soul and how to develop them. Society learns how to establish a higher degree of unity and peace.

The appearance of the Word is like the appearance of the sun. “Consider the sun,” Baha’u’ll4h writes. “How feeble its rays the moment it appeareth above the horizon. How gradually its warmth and potency increase as it approacheth its zenith, enabling meanwhile all created things to adapt themselves to the growing intensity of its light.”2

The principle of progressive unfoldment of truth applies to the successive Revelations that God sends to humanity. His Messengers include Moses, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, the Bab, Baha’u’ll4h and others. Each of these Manifestations presents “the light of Divine Revelation” to “men in direct proportion to their spiritual capacity.”3 Each Revelation is limited to “a definitely prescribed mission.”

2 Gleanings 87-88 3 Bah4’u’llah, Gleanings 87 4 Bahé’u’ll4h, Gleanings 52

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The Manner of Revelation [Page 27]The gradual unfoldment of the light also applies within each Revelation. Bahd’u’lldh revealed His laws and teachings over more than two decades. These obligations have been applied over time to the believers by the designated head of the Faith. The Teachings will guide humanity for at least 1000 years. The power of the Word of God as revealed by Baha’u’llah is gradually changing society. It will continue until the oneness of mankind—with all its implications of world unity and peace—is established.

Every human being is given the ability to recognize the Manifestation of God and His Revelation. “Had he not been endowed with such a capacity, how could he be called to account for his failure?”> The light of the Revelation reacts on the mirror of the soul. The result depends on how pure the mirror is. Believers are guided by the light; those who disbelieve see no light, but find discomfort from the heat. ““Marvel not if in the Qur’4n the unbeliever perceiveth naught but the trace of letters, for in the sun, the blind findeth naught but heat.’”6

Many truths lie hidden in the Word of God. Its meaning is inexhaustible. We can acquire understanding in proportion to our efforts at study, meditation, and prayer. “The understanding of His words

and the comprehension of the utterances of the Birds of Heaven are in no wise dependent upon human learning. They depend solely upon purity of heart, chastity of soul, and freedom of spirit.”

When ground is cleared and cultivated it produces crops. When a tree is pruned and nurtured it bears fruit. If an animal is trained it can serve humanity. People are also in need of a trainer, an educator, who can guide their progress in spiritual, social, and material affairs. The Manifestation of God is the Divine Educator and the revealed Word of God is the tool He uses to cultivate the soil of the heart.

“Ts not the object of every Revelation to effect a transformation in the whole character of mankind,” Baha’u’ lah asks, “a transformation that shall manifest itself, both outwardly and inwardly, that shall affect both its inner life and external conditions? For if the character of mankind be not changed, the futility of God’s universal Manifestation would be apparent.’”8

5 Bahé’u’lléh, Gleanings 143

6 Quoted in The Kitéb-i-[qan 209

7 Bahé’u’lléh, The Kitdb-i-fqén 211

8 Bahé’u’ll4h, quoted in The World Order of Baha’ u'lléh 25

Recognizing and Understanding the Word of God

The Purpose of the Word of God

27 [Page 28]",.. every age requireth a fresh measure of the light of God. Every Divine Revelation hath been sent down in a manner that befitted the circumstances of the age in which it hath appeared.”

—Baha’u’ll4h, Gleanings 81

“Tt 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, ... uttering the same speech, and proclaiming the same Faith. . . .

“The other station is the station of distinction, and pertaineth to the world of creation. ... It is because of this difference in their station and mission that the words and utterances flowing from these Well Springs of Divine knowledge appear to diverge and differ. Otherwise . . . all their utterances are, in reality, but the expressions of one Truth.” —Bahé’w’lléh, Gleanings 52-53

“*...the fundamental principle which constitutes the bedrock of Baha’i belief, [is] the principle that religious truth is not absolute but relative, that Divine Revelation is orderly, continuous and progressive and not spasmodic or final.” —shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahd'u'lldh 115

“Contemplate with thine inward eye the chain of successive Revelations that hath linked the Manifestation of Adam with that of the Bab. ... Each one of these Manifestations hath been sent down through

the operation of the Divine Will and Purpose, . . . each hath been the bearer of a specific Message, . . . each hath been entrusted with a divinely-revealed Book. ... The measure of the Revelation with which every one of them hath been identified had been definitely foreordained.” —Bahé’u’lléh, Gleanings 74

“Know of a certainty that in every Dispensation the light of Divine Revelation hath been vouchsafed unto men in direct proportion to their spiritual capacity. Consider the sun.... Were it, all of a sudden, to manifest the energies latent within it, it would, no doubt, cause injury to all created things. ... In like manner, if the Sun of Truth were suddenly to reveal, at the earliest stages of its manifestation, the full measure of the potencies which the providence of the Almighty hath bestowed upon it, the earth of human understanding would waste away and be consumed; for men’s hearts would neither sustain the intensity of its revelation, nor be able to mirror forth the radiance of its light.” —Bahé’u’llah, Gleanings 87-88

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The Manner of Revelation

Revelation: presentation by God of His Will and Truths to humanity; the measure of Divine Truth brought by each Manifestation

befit: to be suitable or appropriate for

abiding: to remain stable or fixed in a state; to continue in a place

tabernacle: place of worship

diverge: to be different in character or form

constitutes: to make up, form, compose

relative: having meaning only in connection with something else; comparative

progressive: moving forward, especially by steps or degrees

spasmodic: sudden but short-lived; proceeding fitfully

fore-ordained: appointed in advance; predestined;

vouchsafed: granted; conceded [Page 29]“The One true God may be compared unto the sun and the believer unto a mirror. No sooner is the mirror placed before the sun than it reflects its light. The unbeliever may be likened unto a stone. No matter how long it is exposed to the sunshine, it cannot reflect the sun.... Indeed, if God willeth, He is potent to turn the stone into a mirror, but the person himself remaineth reconciled to his state. Had he wished to become a crystal, God would have made him to assume crystal form. For on that Day whatever cause prompteth the believer to believe in Him, the same will also be available to the unbeliever. ... Thus, as is clearly evident today, those who have set their faces toward God, the True One, have believed in Him because of the Bayan, while such as are veiled have been deprived because of it.” —Selections from the Writings of the Bab 103

“... the Birds of Heaven and Doves of Eternity speak a twofold lang uage. One language, the outward language, is devoid of allusions, is unconcealed and unveiled; that it may be a guiding lamp.... The other language is veiled and concealed, so that whatever lieth hidden in the heart of the malevolent may be made manifest.... This is the divine standard, this is the Touchstone of God, wherewith He proveth His servants. None apprehendeth the meaning of these utterances except them whose hearts are assured, whose souls have found favour with God, and whose minds are detached from all else but Him. In such utterances, the literal meaning, as generally understood by the people, is not what hath been intended. Thus it is recorded: “Every knowledge hath seventy meanings, of which one only is known amongst the people. And when the Qa’im shall arise, He shall reveal unto men all that which remaineth.’”

—Bahé’w’llth, The Kitdb-i-[gdn 254-55

“. .. just as thou firmly believest that the Word of God, exalted be

His glory, endureth for ever, thou must, likewise, believe with

undoubting faith that its meaning can never be exhausted.” —Baha’u’ll4h, Gleanings 175

“. .. itis therefore incumbent upon every one to seek enlightenment from the illumined in heart and from the Treasuries of divine mysteries regarding the intricacies of God’s Faith and the abstruse allusions in the utterances of the Daysprings of Holiness. Thus will these mysteries be unravelled, not by the aid of acquired learning, but solely

through the assistance of God and the outpourings of His grace.” —Baha’u’llah, The Importance of Deepening 6

Recognizing and Understanding the Word of God

reconciled to: to bring one to accept something unpleasant or unwanted

Bayan (buy-awn): one of the central books of the Bab; title given by the Bab to His Revelation, particularly His Books

malevolent: wishing evil to others; spiteful

touchstone: stone used to test the quality of gold or silver; a standard for testing quality

apprehend: understand, grasp

Qa‘im (caw-'em).: literally, He Who ariseth; reference

to One awaited by Islam; the Bab

intricacies: complexities

abstruse: hard to understand; obscure

29 [Page 30]“The ordinances of God have been sent down from the heaven of His Most august Revelation. ... Man’s supreme distinction, his real advancement, his final victory, have always depended, and will continue to depend, upon them. Whoso keepeth the commandments of God shall attain everlasting felicity.” —Bahé’u'lléh, Gleanings 289

“God has sent forth the Prophets for the purpose of quickening the soul of man into higher and divine recognitions. He has revealed the heavenly Books for this great purpose. ... This divine and ideal power has been bestowed upon man in order that he may purify himself from the imperfections of nature and uplift his soul to the realm of might and power. The mission of the Prophets of God has been to train the souls of humanity and free them from the thralldom of natural instincts and physical tendancies. They are like unto Gardeners, and the world of humanity is the field of Their cultivation. . . .” —‘Abdu’l-Bah4,. The Promulgation of Universal Peace 310

“The purpose underlying the revelation of every heavenly Book, nay, of every divinely-revealed verse, is to endue all men with righteousness and understanding, so that peace and tranquillity may be firmly established amongst them. .. .” —Bahé’u’ lldéh, Gleanings 206

“The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Reli gion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human

race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men.” —Baha’u’lléh, Gleanings 215

“Every man of insight will, in this day, readily admit that the counsels which the Pen of this wronged One hath revealed constitute the supreme animating power for the advancement of the world and the exaltation of its peoples.” —Bahé’u’lléh, Gleanings 93

“Tf these obstructing veils had not intervened Persia would, in some two years, have been subdued through the power of utterance. ...

In short, sometimes in explicit language, at other times by allusion, We said whatever had to be said. Thus, once Persia had been rehabilitated, the sweet savors of the Word of God would have wafted over all countries, inasmuch as that which hath streamed forth from the Most exalted Pen is conducive to the glory, the advancement and education of all the peoples and kindreds of the earth. Indeed it is the sovereign remedy for every disease, could they but comprehend and perceive it.” —Tablets of Bahd' u'lléh 73

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The Purpose of the Word of God

ordinances: commands, laws

diligently: steadily, eamestly and energetically make an effort

felicity: great happiness

thralldom: condition of servitude; mental or moral bondage

cultivation: preparation for growth; improvement by care or labor

righteousness: justice; virtue; morals

exaltation: raising in rank, station or dignity; glorfication

stronghold: a fort; a place of security or survival

explicit: clearly stated; definite

conducive: lead to, contribute to

sovereign: supreme, chief [Page 31]Illustration

“The revealed Word has an inner spirit and an outer form. The innermost spirit is limitless in its potentialities; it belongs to the world of the uncreated and is generated by the Holy Spirit of God. The outer form of the Word of God acts as a channel through which the stream of God’s Holy Spirit flows.

“... the Bearer of the Message of God influences the outer form of the Word of God. . .. Because Baha’u’llah was a Persian, the Word of God in this age is revealed in both the Persian and Arabic languages. The personality of Baha’u’ll4h, the style of His Writings, the nature of the Persian language, its idioms and its proverbs, the stories He relates of the lives of His contemporaries in that country and the lands to which He was exiled, all contribute to the form of the revealed Word in this Dispensation.

“Although Baha’u’llah did not attend any of the schools for the divines or learned classes, yet men of letters have testified that His Writings both in Arabic and Persian, viewed solely from the literary point of view, are unsurpassed in their beauty, richness and eloquence. Although unfamiliar with the Arabic language, its vast vocabulary and the complexities of its grammar, which normally took the divines a lifetime to master, Baha’u’ll4h has so enriched Arabic literature with His Writings that He has created, as Muhammad did in His day, a style which has inspired Baha’i scholars and writers ever since. ...

“Tn order to write, any writer must rely on his knowledge and learning. He will have to meditate on the subject and undertake research. After much work he may produce a book in which always there will be ample room for improvement, and not infrequently he will feel it necessary to rewrite the entire book. This is not so in the case of the Manifestations of God Who do not rely on Their own human accomplishments. . . .

“The Qur’an, the Holy Book of Isl4m, consists of approximately six thousand three hundred verses. It was revealed by Muhammad during the course of twenty-three years. In this Dispensation, however, the outpouring of Divine Revelation has been vouchsafed to humanity in such profusion that, within the span of one hour, the equivalent of one thousand verses was revealed by Baha’u’llah. . . .

“... The Writings of Baha’u’llah .. . are so vast in their range that, as attested by Himself, they would, if fully compiled, amount to no less than one hundred volumes.”

—Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Bahd'u'lléh, Vol. I 21-24

31 [Page 32]Select one of the passages from the “Readings” section. Take time to think deeply about it. What does the passage mean? After some time, consider how the passage might relate directly to your own life. Is there some behavior you can change or some action you can take? Use the following space to record your thoughts and plans:

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[Page 33]1. (Circle all that apply.) Regarding the way the Word of God is revealed to humanity, it is:

a. limited by the knowledge of the Manifestation b. fitted to the needs of the age

c. progressive and orderly

d. sudden and complete

2. (Circle all that apply.) Regarding the recognition of the truth of the Word of God:

a. all will recognize it

b. the Word is a barrier to recognition for some c. God can help anyone to believe

d. God distinguishes between people

3. (Circle all that apply.) Greater understanding of the Word of God depends upon:

a. a pure heart

b. acquired learning

c. asking spiritually learned individuals d. the assistance of God

4. (Circle all that apply.) The purpose of the Word of God is to:

a. transform individuals

b. establish peace

c. advance civilization

d. raise the station of peoples

[Page 34]Answers

The following are suggested answers. Depending on your understanding of the quotations, you may have different answers. Consider the suggested answers as a Starting point for thought and discussion.

1. bandc. See quotations one, three, and four on page 28. The Message is limited by the capacity of humanity—not by the knowledge of the Manifestation. Each Message is suited to the world’s needs and is progressive and orderly rather than sudden and complete.

2. b,c,andd. See the first three quotations on page 29. Answer

a” is not correct, since although all can recognize the truth of the Revelation, some will not.

3. a,c,andd. See page 27 and the last quotation on page 29. Note for “c” that “it is incumbent upon everyone to seek enlightenment from the illumined in heart. . . .”

4. a,b,c, andd. See the quotations on page 30. They refer to “the advancement and education of all the peoples,” the “peace and tranquillity” of “all men,” the “real advancement,” “final victory,” and “everlasting felicity” of man, and other such results which it is the purpose of the Word of God to produce.

Discussion

Describe how the gradual unfoldment of truth applies to progressive revelation from one Manifestation to the next. How does it apply within each Revelation?

In The K itab-i-[gan, Baha’u’llah notes that the Word of God, which is “sharp as the sword of God,” has “separated the faithful from the infidel, and severed father from son.” At the same time He speaks of the “binding force of the Word of God, which uniteth the hearts....”9 How can the Word of God both unite and divide? (Refer also to the last sentence of the second quotation on page 29.)

Explain the purpose of the Word of God. How does the Word help individuals progress? How does it help society progress?

9 The Kitdb-i-[qan 112

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