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Origin: From the Kingdom manifested or Greater World ("heaven"): God "has caused those luminous Gems of Holiness to appear out of the realm of spirit, in the noble form of the human temple." (Bwf 19) "Christ... came from heaven, though apparently from the womb; in the same way also, at His second coming, He will come from heaven, though apparently from the womb." (Saq 126- 7) (29:1) Life pattern: "Every one of Them... connecteth this world with the realms above. (Bwf 21) "He brings down into the world of action His spiritual conception and ideals." He radiates "the light... (that is) responsible for the progress of the world and the advancement of its peoples." He has "provided, and will continue to provide, the supreme moving impulse in the world of being." "Out of every manifestation of His invincible power oceans of eternal light have outpoured." (Pt 18; Gl 157; Bwf 28) (29:2) "Jesus Christ... accepted every calamity and suffering in order to guide men to the truth." Baha'u'llah "consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner... that the whole world may attain unto true liberty." (Pup 445; Bwf 33) (29:3) Objective: Theirs is God's Purpose for Them. "They have no aim except the exaltation of the word of God,... the improvement of the masses, spiritual progress, the promulgation of universal peace, goodwill... and kindness." (Saq 194) (29:4) Nature of the Manifestations: We know Him as the Perfect or Divine Man, "in the condition of a clear mirror, in which the Sun of Reality becomes visible and manifest with all its qualities and perfections. So the Reality of Christ was a clear and polished mirror of the greatest purity and fineness." The Perfect Man, the Prophet, is One Who is transfigured... One Who reflects the Sun of Truth (Deity)... If we claim that the sun is seen in the mirror, we do not mean that the sun itself has descended from the holy heights of his heaven and entered the mirror! This is impossible. The Divine Nature is seen in the Manifestations..." (A.B. in London 10- 1) (29:5) "He hath ordained that in every age... a pure and stainless Soul be manifest in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. Unto this subtle, this mysterious and ethereal Being He hath assigned a twofold nature: the physical, pertaining to the world of matter, and the spiritual, which is born of the substance of God Himself... The First..., which is related to His inmost reality, representeth Him as One Whose voice is the voice of God Himself... The second station is the human station, exemplified by...: 'I am but a man like you.'" (Bwf 103- 4) (29:6) "The Manifestations have three planes: First, the physical reality, which depends upon the body; secondly, the individual (human) reality,... the rational soul; thirdly, the divine appearance, which is the divine perfections, the cause of His life of existence and the education of souls, of the guidance of people, and of the enlightenment of the contingent world." (Saq 177) (29:7) "All that human reality knows, discovers, and understands of the names, the attributes, and the perfections of God, refer to these Holy Manifestations. There is no access to anything else: 'the way is closed.'" (Saq 169)
(29:8)
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