Oneness of the prophets

Oneness of the prophets and manifestations of God.

 

162. Oneness of the prophets of God: In the Bahá’í Faith we believe in the oneness of God, which means mankind is one race because all humans were created by the same God, which means that all religions are in essence one, because the teachings of God come to all mankind and not just a chosen few.

the greatest name-12pixBAHA’I FAITH: “There is one God; mankind is one; the foundations of religion are one.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 20)

This leads us to the intuitive conclusion that all the prophets, whom God has been sending to all mankind throughout all the ages, in order to teach humanity about Himself, are one and the same in essence. Jewish symbols star-8pix Judaism: Sirach 36:15 “Give testimony unto those that thou hast possessed from the beginning, and raise up prophets that have been in thy name.” (Deuterocanonical Apocrypha,) Hosea 12:9 “And I that am The Lord thy God, I have also spoken by the prophets, (Manifestations) and I have multiplied visions and used similitude’s, by the ministry of the prophets.” 4 Ezra 6:38 “O Lord, thou spakest from the beginning of the creation,” by the mouth of the holy prophets. (Apocrypha, Esdras 2 (Ezra 4)) We also find that Jesus Christ himself also tells us that God also gave His message of the Gospel to the Holy Prophets from the beginning of the world: the cross-5pix Christianity: Luke 1:70 “He (God) spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, which have been since the world began:” So then, what the prophet Moses tells us about the coming of the next prophet (who is Jesus Christ) is only natural in the order of the, all to real, evolution of the appearance and teachings of the manifestations that God sends to mankind. Deuteronomy 18:15 “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me (one like Moses);” Deuteronomy 18:18 “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee (one like Moses), and will put My words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.”

All the prophets come to us with the same instructions, educate and lead humanity towards God. All the prophets, or we might call them manifestations of God, have one and the same purpose, to bring God’s message to mankind. So, it only makes sense that we should think of The Holy Manifestations as one and the same in their holy and ongoing quest to raise mankind out of the depths of the darkness of ignorance and bring mankind into the splendor of the light of God’s good graces and love.

the greatest name-12pixBAHA’I FAITH: “The term progressive revelation is used to denote the continuous number of prophets, or manifestations of God, that have been sent to the earth as divine educators of mankind. The Reality of the divine Religions is one, because the Reality is one and cannot be two. All the prophets are united in their message, and unshaken. They are like the sun; in different seasons they ascend from different rising points on the horizon. Therefore every ancient prophet gave the glad tidings of the future, and every future has accepted the past.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 28)

The shrine-17pix BABI RELIGION: “The Lord of the universe hath never raised up a prophet nor hath He sent down a Book unless He hath established His covenant with all men, calling for their acceptance of the next Revelation and of the next Book; inasmuch as the outpourings of His bounty are ceaseless and without limit.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 85)

Some people might think this is an entirely new teaching not found in the other religions of God, but that would be a mistake. This is also a teaching found in Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Bábísm, Sabeanism to name just a few. The only thing is, the teachings of progressive revelation found in these religions is more obscure and harder to find in the older writings of God.

Mandaean symbol-15pix SABEANISM: “And it was revealed to me (?) and to all of them in this book, and they acted upon this reliable baser acting according to this (its) light and removing nothing from this writing of great revelation that was given to Adam the first man.’ ‘And Thou hast spoken to us with Thy Word And hast commanded us with Thy commandment.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 75)

the cross-25pix CHRISTIANITY: 1 Corinthians 15:45 “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.” With this one statement Paul introduces us to the concept of progressive revelation and the oneness of all the prophets. The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. What this is saying to us is that all the prophets are one in essence because God has sent them all with the same purpose and the same over all missions. If one prophet chose to use the name of a prophet before him he speaks the truth bearing the oneness of the essence of all the prophets of God and their overall mission from God in mind.

the greatest name-12pixBAHA’I FAITH: “Muhammad, the Point of the Qur’án, revealed: ‘I am all the Prophets.’ Likewise, He saith: ‘I am the first Adam, Noah, Moses, and Jesus.”’

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 51)

Islamic symbol-10 pix ISLAM: 13. “The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah-the which We have sent by inspiration to thee-and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Namely, that ye should remain steadfast in Religion, and make no divisions therein: to those who worship other things than Allah (God), hard is the (way) to which thou callest them. Allah chooses to Himself those whom He pleases, and guides to Himself those who turn (to Him).”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  42)

This is also true of Christianity. The essence of Christ, Peter tells us, is likewise found in all of the prophets: the cross-5pix Christianity: 1 Peter 1:10 “Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:” 1 Peter 1:11 “Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them (The Holy Prophets).”

But if that same messenger chooses to use another name bearing in mind the unique differences of each individual prophetic cycle and over all different needs of mankind, at the time, that prophet also speaks the truth. Likewise if that messenger were to say I am the first of all the prophets he speaks the truth: the cross-5pix Christianity: Revelations 1:11 “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last:” And if that same prophet were to say he is the last of all the prophets he also would speak the absolute truth: Revelations 22:13 “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” All of the manifestations of God are one in their being, one in their goals and one in God. They are the beginning of God’s wonderful message and the end of all prophetic cycles. So, no matter what name they are going by at the time all the manifestations teachings lead back to the one and only God who is educating all mankind to live a better way of life. the cross-5pix Christianity: Hebrews 9:26 “For then must he (Jesus Christ) often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” This example from Paul demonstrates that Christ has been coming to mankind “since the foundation of the world” and that he considered Jesus to be one of many prophets coming to mankind since the existence of mankind on this earth no matter by what name he chose to go by.

The shrine-17pix BABI RELIGION: “He (The Bab) bade them declare that whoever believes in Him has believed in all the prophets of God, and that whoever denies Him has denied all His saints and His chosen ones.”

The Bab: (Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 94)

the greatest name-12pixBAHA’I FAITH: “If we deny One of the Manifestations of God, we deny all. To inflict persecution upon One is to persecute the Others. In all degrees of existence each One praises and sanctifies the Others. Each of Them holds to the solidarity of mankind and promotes the unity of human hearts.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 208)

the cross-25pix CHRISTIANITY: Luke 1:68 “Blessed be The Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began, that we should be saved.” Acts 3:21 “God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”

(See progressive revelation for more information)

Islamic symbol-10 pix ISLAM: 84. “Say: ‘We believe in Allah (God), and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma’il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the Prophets, from their Lord; we make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will.”’

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   3)

Islamic symbol-5pix Islam: 150. “Those who deny Allah and His Messengers, and (those who) wish to separate Allah from His Messengers, saying: ‘We believe in some but reject others:’ and (those who) wish to take a course midway.” 151. “They are in truth (equally) unbelievers; and We have prepared for unbelievers a humiliating punishment.” 152. “To those who believe in Allah and His Messengers and make no distinction between any of the Messengers, We shall soon give their (due) rewards: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   4)

Islamic symbol-5pix Islam: 23. “Allah has revealed (from time to time) the most beautiful Message in the form of a Book, consistent with itself, (yet) repeating its teaching in various aspects” 106. “None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar; knowest thou not that Allah hath power over all things? Knowest thou not that to Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth! And besides Him ye have neither patron nor helper.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surahs  2 and 39)

Islamic symbol-5pix Islam: “Let every nation follow what they used to worship, and now we are waiting for our Lord.’ Then the Almighty will come to them in a shape other than the one which they saw the first time, and He will say, ‘I am your Lord,’ and they will say, ‘You are not our Lord.”’ They will be blind to the new manifestation of God, Allah will send them. They have eyes to see, but don’t see the true light of Allah when it dawns, and fail to hear the truth of His words. 13. “The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah-the which We have sent by inspiration to thee-and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Namely, that ye should remain steadfast in Religion, and make no divisions therein: to those who worship other things than Allah, hard is the (way) to which thou callest them. Allah chooses to Himself those whom He pleases, and guides to Himself those who turn (to Him).”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 42 and Hadith, Bukhari Vol 9, Book 93, # 532)

The shrine-17pix BABI RELIGION: “Thy Lord hath never raised up a prophet in the past who failed to summon the people to His Lord, and today is truly similar to the times of old, were ye to ponder over the verses revealed by God.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 160)

The shrine10 pix Babi Religion: “He laid stress on the continuity of Divine Revelation, asserted the fundamental oneness of the Prophets of the past, and explained their close relationship to the Mission of the Báb.”

The Bab: (Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 437)

Islamic symbol-10 pix ISLAM: “Allah’s (God‘s) Apostle said, ‘Both in this world and in the Hereafter, I am the nearest of all the people to Jesus, the son of Mary. The prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one.”’

(Islam, Hadith, Bukhari Vol 4, Book 55, # 652)

Islamic symbol-5pix Islam: 110. (Muhammad tells us) “I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come to me, that your Allah is one Allah: whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner.” 136. “(We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us), and to Abraham, Isma’il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord, we make no difference between one and another of them, (all are men in the service of Allah) and we bow to Allah.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  2 and 18)

Islamic symbol-5pix Islam: 62. “Those who believe and those who follow the Jewish (Scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians (flowers of Adam), and who believe in Allah and the last day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” 17. “Those who believe, and follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians, Christians, Magians (Zoroastrians),”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surahs 2 and 22)

Zoroastrian symbol-12pix ZOROASTRIANISM: 3. “And we worship the former religions of the world devoted to Righteousness which were instituted at the creation, the holy religions of the Creator Ahura Mazda (God), the resplendent and glorious.”

(Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 16)

Zoroastrian symbol-5pix Zoroastrianism: “The busy world is apt to forget the most important lesson of life so the merciful Mazda sends prophets now and then to remind men of their highest destiny.” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan)

Zoroastrian symbol-5pix Zoroastrianism: “The path, O Ahura, which You told me to be of conscience, and which happens to be the religion of all the prophets, and which, by good deeds promotes rectitude as well, and which brings to the righteous recompense of which You are the giver; the way of all the saints (saoshyants) may be said to be only one. For in essential matters, there is no difference between one prophet and another. In as much as the same God is worshipped everywhere. All of them are different phases of the same religion.” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan pp. 314 thru 316)

Zoroastrian symbol-5pix Zoroastrianism: “If one disbelieves in the spiritual experience of the prophet he deprives himself of the means of salvation. The gospel of the prophet enables one to have a glimpse of His spirit. All the prophets teach the same truth. The lamps are different, but the flame is the same.” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan p. 468)

Zoroastrian symbol-5pix Zoroastrianism: “Ahura Mazda is not unmindful of His creatures and sends a prophet to every nation (and people). He had already said that the religion taught by all the prophets is one in all essential points.” “Do not make any distinction between the prophets.” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan p. 651)

Zoroastrian symbol-5pix Zoroastrianism: “In essential matters there is no difference between one prophet and another.” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan p. 769)

Hindu symbol-10pix HINDUISM: “I come, and go, and come. When Righteousness Declines, O Bharata! when Wickedness Is strong, I rise, from age to age, and take Visible shape, and move a man with men, Succouring the good, thrusting the evil back, And setting Virtue on her seat again.”

(Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 4)

Hindu symbol 5-pix Hinduism: “As I before have been So will I be again for thee; with lightened heart behold! Once more I am thy Krishna, the form thou knew’st of old!”

(Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 9)

Hindu symbol 5-pix Hinduism: “These words to Arjuna spake Vasudev, and straight did take Back again the semblance dear Of the well-loved charioteer; Peace and joy it did restore When the Prince beheld once more Mighty BRAHMA’S (God‘s) form and face Clothed in Krishna’s gentle grace.”

(Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 11)

Hindu symbol 5-pix Hinduism: “Krishna, I BRAHMA am! The One Eternal GOD, And ADHYATMAN is My Being’s name, The Soul of Souls! What goeth forth from Me, Causing all life to live, is KARMA called: And, Manifested in divided forms, I am the ADHIBHUTA, Lord of Lives; And ADHIDAIVA, Lord of all the Gods, Because I am PURUSHA, who begets. And ADHIYAJNA, Lord of Sacrifice, I- speaking with thee in this body here- Am, thou embodied one! (for all the shrines Flame unto Me!) And, at the hour of death, He that hath meditated Me alone, In putting off his flesh, comes forth to Me, Enters into My Being- doubt thou not!”

(Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 8)

Buddhist wheel symbol-10 pix BUDDHISM: “When all lesser things and ideas are transcended and forgotten, and there remains only a perfect state of imagelessness where Tathagata and Tathata are merged into perfect Oneness, then the Buddhas will come together from all their Buddha-lands and with shining hands resting on his forehead will welcome a new Tathagata.” “Among all the Buddhas there is a sameness of Buddha-nature, there is no distinction among them except as they manifest various transformations according to the different dispositions of beings who are to be disciplined and emancipated by various means. In the Ultimate Essence which is Dharmakaya, all the Buddhas of the past, present and future, are of one sameness.” “The self-realization of Noble Wisdom by all the Tathagatas is the same as my own self-realization of Noble Wisdom; there is no more, no less, no difference.” (Buddha, Lankavatara Sutra)

Dharma wheel Buddhist symbols-5pix Buddhism: “I am not the first Buddha who came upon earth, nor shall I be the last. In due time another Buddha will arise…. He shall reveal to you the same eternal truths which I have taught you. He will preach to you His religion, glorious in its origin, glorious at the climax and glorious at the goal, in the spirit and in the letter.” [1 Sermon of the Great Passing.]

Dharma wheel Buddhist symbols-5pix Buddhism: “I am known by uncounted trillions of names. They address me by different names not realizing that they are all names of the one Tathagata. Some recognize me as Tathagata, some as The Self-existent One, some as Gautama the Ascetic, some as Buddha. Then there are others who recognize me as Brahma, as Vishnu, as Ishvara; some see me as Sun, as Moon; some as a reincarnation of the ancient sages; some as one of ‘the ten powers;’ some as Rama, some as Indra, and some as Varuna. Still there are others who speak of me as The Unborn, as Emptiness, as ‘Suchness,’ as Truth, as Reality, as Ultimate Principle; still there are others who see me as Dharmakaya, as Nirvana, as the Eternal; some speak of me as sameness, as non-duality, as undying, as formless; some think of me as the doctrine of Buddha causation, or of Emancipation, or of the Noble Path; and some think of me as Divine Mind and Noble Wisdom. Thus in this world and in other worlds am I known by these uncounted names, but they all see me as the moon is seen in water. Though they all honor, praise and esteem me, they do not fully understand the meaning and significance of the words they use; not having their own self-realization of Truth they cling to the words of their canonical books, or to what has been told them, or to what they have imagined, and fail to see that the name they are using is only one of the many names of the Tathagata.” “All the Buddhas of the past, present and future, are of one sameness.” (Buddha, Lankavatara Sutra)

Mandaean symbol-15pix SABEANISM: “In the Name of The Great Life (Haiyi, God). Vines shone in the water And in the Jordan mighty they grew. Ye are flourishing offshoots. Messengers hither I bring you.” “Establishing Your likeness and giving us light, Let your radiance shine upon us.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 177 and 382)

Mandaean symbol1 Sabeanism: God has manifestations, messengers, who are His image and counterpart in this life on this world, but God Himself will never take on the imperfect shape of an earthly human; He is to grand and magnificent to become a mere human mortal. “Arise, worship and praise The Great Life And praise His Counter-part, that is the image of The Life.” “I worship and praise that channel of light, The messenger of all rays-of-light (The manifestation of God on this earth). Every day, daily, they (plural) gaze on His likeness And upon the great Countenance of Glory.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 114 thru 116)

Mandaean symbol1 Sabeanism: “Thou, my lord Manda-d-Hiia, art blessed and praised And thy praise is established (on high). This is prayer and praise which came to them (plural) from The great place of Light and the everlasting Abode.” “We have acknowledged,’ ‘Praises,’ and ‘Thee (Life, God)’ for Myself so that there may be commemoration for Me on earth.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 77 and 114)