|
Such an event could take place only in the divine realm and only as a result of radical interference with the course of nature. This type of symbolic imagery appropriately gives emphasis to the divine nature of Jesus' return - it conveys that it is an event which reveals God actively working in history. It reinforces the distinction between the human realm and the divine, between human knowledge and the special act of revelation. Signs such as the tribulation involve the decline of religion, a development which originates from within the human world; but the appearance of a Manifestation of God, such as Moses, Christ, and now Baha'u'llah, is a unique spiritual event originating from God. (121:1) In this verse Jesus clearly states that He is from heaven. But since He also says He is in heaven - even as He stands on the ground - we have here an indication that heaven is not literally the physical sky or space above us. The same observation can be applied to Jesus' statement concerning the Second Advent, that is, that the appearance of the Son of Man in the 'clouds of heaven' does not mean the clouds of the physical sky. (121:2) These verses suggest that 'heaven' is used here to symbolize the exalted, holy nature and origin of His station. It emphasizes His relationship to God. The physical heaven above us is not the reality of heaven but is used in Scripture to symbolize the reality of the spiritual world. To assume that the 'heaven' Jesus speaks of is the sky above us is to confuse the symbol for the reality.
(121:3)
|