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In every case, Christ made Himself known to His closest chosen disciples by words, by miracles, or by an example. They did not know Him by their outward sight. (112:1) Now, nearly 2,000 years later, how could His followers, divided into hundreds of sects, hating each other, devoid of the closeness, dedication and intimacy which Christ’s disciples enjoyed, ever hope to recognize Him in the flesh? The answer is simple: they could not. (112:2) The teachings of the Bahá'í Faith also liken resurrection, or the coming of a Messenger of God such as Christ or Bahá'u'lláh, to a spiritual springtime. In the world of nature, the Spring not only brings about the growth and awakening of new life, but also causes the destruction of the old and effete. The same sun that makes flowers grow and trees bud also brings about the decay and disintegration of what is dead and useless. The Spring loosens the ice and melts the snow of Winter. It sets in motion the flood and the storm which cleanse and purify the earth. Following this, new life is born on all sides. Every man glories in the beautiful and fragrant resurrection of life in the Springtime after the cold Winter of a dead and frozen world. (112:3) This same process takes place in the world of man’s spirit. The spiritual springtime caused by the coming of a Messenger of God brings about similar commotion and change. Thus, the Day of resurrection is also the Day of Judgment. The Day in which corruption and imitation of truth are discarded. Outworn ideas and customs that no longer fit the age are done away with. The ice of prejudice and the snow of superstition, which accumulated during the Winter of religious decline are melted and transformed. Spiritual energies which have been frozen up are released to flood and renovate the world. Things that were dead come to life again in this spiritual springtime. The fruits, vegetables, and grains come to life in this new physical springtime so that man can be fed and nourished. In like manner, the spiritual springtime of the coming of the Prophet brings the spiritual foods without which mankind would wither away and die spiritually. If it were not for this spiritual resurrection, man would remain dead, buried in the grave of his animal nature. (112:4) In Bahá'u'lláh’s words, resurrection, rebirth, and return all have the same fundamental meaning: the spiritually dead are resurrected from their graves of heedlessness. Those who have passed into spiritual death while living, are reborn. Those qualities of love, integrity, and justice, which have vanished from men’s lives, return with the coming of God’s Messenger. (112:5) Each Prophet comes from the same single heaven of the knowledge of an Infinite and Almighty God. Each brings the same light of truth to a darkened world. Hence, they are called Suns. The sun is the source of the light of day. resurrection comes from the Latin word sugere, "to rise", with the prefix "re" meaning again. To rise again. When the Sun of Truth, the Messenger of God, rises again on a night of earthly darkness, He brings the Day of resurrection. This is the Day of God that "rises again" and renews all things. (112:6) It is also the Day of Judgment. On the Day when the Messenger of God appears, all are judged by their acceptance or rejection of His Message. The sheep are separated from the goats by His appearance. The sheep recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd, and follow Him, "for they know his voice".34 (112:7) Bahá'u'lláh writes: From the preceding explanations, we can be sure that the resurrection of Christ is to be understood symbolically. It is plainly an inward truth: the body of Christ’s Faith was dead. It arose again with its real life of the spirit. The outward symbol of this inward truth is the story of the resurrection.
(112:9)
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