Hey James,
I am giving you this reply in answer to the words of Jesus: I am the way....No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well."
To know Jesus, REALLY, would be IN SPIRIT. Through the SPIRIT we know the Father, God. He was nothing without The Holy Sprit who was in Him. He Himself testifieto that.
We would not know Jesus, "really" if we just looked at His earthly Person, which the pharisees did.OK. And they killed His person, but not His Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Then, the Holy Spirit inspired and gave life to the disciples, first through a woman. Over the Holy Spirit God is the Ruler and also over NAMES.
If Jesus had meant the name Jesus and His body, God forbid, then why would He say He'd come again. Why would that be so important, and repeating that 250 times in the Gospel. There would be no need, He was indeed a physical historical human Being and He taught people to love God. But He predicted a time when people would not believe any more, the love would be cold as death. So His Spirit must appear again.
In the 1840s people actually thought He, Jesus, as He was 2000 years ago, would arrive in the sky. Do we really which this. How profane such a belief, I'd say.
So what is coming again is the Holy Spirit. OK. That is what He means when He says "no one comes to the Father except through Me =the Holy Spirit. That is the "Me". The Holy Spirit. He spoke solely through the power of the Holy Spirit.
When He, in Rev.3:12 says He " will write upon him (the one who wins the victory) the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, that cometh down from heaven, from my God and also my own NEW NAME."
One consequence of that is: We will not find the Spirit of Jesus among the Christians. His followers have another name. The Holy Spirit has been bestowed by God in another Person. But, note, that we (the Bahais) do not deny the old name of the Holy Spirit, Jesus, the Christ.
This is my conviction. See Rev.3:13. "Let him that heareth, hear what the SPIRIT is saying to the assemblies". As for Jerusalem, what is the use of believing that the old stone city of Jerusalem would come down on earth. It is already there, the stones put together in these days. Jerusalem must needs mean a spiritual unit = The Laws of God for a new age.
This is to be pondered upon anew. Why not again. It will indeed be rewarding.
I'll answer any further questions if you have any.
The name Bahai means for or of the "Light", or "Glory"
I am just telling you this. Each and everyone must understand this wholly on their own, not relying on what the neighbour says. You can all read, you have the gift of understanding,a soul and a heart.
And see the fruits of Bahaullahs Tree. www.Bahai.org It is the beginning of "figtime" now. He has indeed sent down laws for the whole world, to all mankind.
Study the Scriptures of Bahaullah, He has revealed hundreds of volumes. Immerse yourself in His Immense Revelation. Telling you "the whole truth", which was to be revealed. Remember, all was not said in the Gospel.
Bahaullah says in His Hidden Words , page one, verse 2:
"O SON OF SPIRIT!
The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away there from if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By it's aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbour. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes."
"Thus doth the Nightingale utter His call unto you from this prison. He hath but to deliver this clear Message. Whosoever desireth, let him turn aside from this counsel and whosoever desireth let him choose the path to his Lord."
Excerpts from the "Tabletto Ahmad Bahaullah"
It was addressed to one of His followers from the Turkish prison of Akka, the old Crusaders Fort, by Bahaullah called "The Most Great Prison".
Bye for now
Good Luck to you all.
Laila Falck, a follower of The Glory of God, Bahaullah, (born in Persia 1817. Passed away as a prisoner 1892 in Akko. Founder of the Bahai Faith.
PS: Leo Tolstoy wrote:" We spend our life trying to solve the mysteries of the universe, but there was a Prisoner in Akka, Bahaullah (Akka, Israel) who had the key."
See the correct English language in your Bible. (I am a Swede and do not master the English language fully.)