It sounds like a simple enough question. Right?
“Return.” What does it mean? Is it literal or is it only symbolic?
For the Christian:
Following his bodily resurrection from the grave, Jesus of Nazareth himself ascended into heaven. Jesus of Nazareth himself will return from heaven to the earth, his second coming, at some point yet in the future. Return. Literal.
We’ve learned recently that Baha’i don’t believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah / Christ. Bodily resurrected. - Christianity
Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah / Christ. Not bodily resurrected. - Baha’i
Red flag.
This raises an important question: Do Baha’i believe Jesus himself is returning? Which is to ask, do the Baha’i understand the return of the Messiah / Christ to be literal (as Christianity does) or only symbolic?
”The Baha’i teachings offer a different perspective.”
Now let’s talk about the return of Christ—and see if we can figure out what the word “return” really means. Is it literal or symbolic?
bahaiteachings.org
Dr. Christopher Buck, a faculty instructor at the Willamette Institute, Department of Baha’i History, was raised Christian. He became a Baha’i when he was 22 years old. He tells us his personal story in the article. I’m going to go a little past that transition from Christian to Baha’i and pick up what he says about himself after becoming Baha’i.
“… I had some lingering doubts as to whether Baha’u’llah was indeed the return of Christ, as Baha’i claim.”
He was overjoyed, he says, when he was finally able to put those lingering doubts to rest. He was now all in on the Baha’i religion.
Baha'u'llah was the return of Christ?
Christ has already returned?
Baha’u’llah, not Jesus of Nazareth himself, is the return of Christ?
Red flag.
”So, to sum up, the Baha’i teachings offer a new understanding of the ‘return’ of Christ. It is not a literal return of Jesus Christ. Why? Because that would be reincarnation - a doctrine foreign to Christianity, historically and doctrinally.
Just as John the Baptist, according to the Bible itself, would come ‘in the spirit and power of Elias’ (Luke 1:17), so Baha’u’llah has come in ‘in the spirit and power’ of Jesus Christ, Baha’i believe.
This understanding of ‘return’ has profound implications for appreciating what Baha’i mean when they refer to Baha’u’llah as the ‘return’ of Christ. …”
Baha’i don’t believe in a literal return of Jesus Christ himself. Christians do.
If one believes in the literal return of Jesus Christ, Baha’i points out that this isn’t possible -> that’s reincarnation!, says Baha’i.
Everyone knows, or should know, that the concept of reincarnation isn’t a Christian concept. Christians know it. So too does Baha’i.
Baha’i to the Christian: You believe the Bible is teaching the literal return of Christ. You don’t really understand what the Bible teaches, but we Baha’i do, and we will teach you. The Bible does not teach the literal return of Christ. That’s reincarnation. You’re looking for Jesus himself. The Bible is really teaching us not to look for Jesus himself, but to look for Baha’u’llah.
Does it matter?
”Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!‘ do not believe him. For false messiah’s and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”
(Matthew 24: 22-24, NET)
“Look, there he is! Baha’u’llah, the returned Christ!” - Baha’i
Do not believe him.
Do not give up on the Christian hope and expectation of the future, literal, bodily return of Jesus of Nazareth himself, the Christ. If you do, you will have been deceived.
P.S.
I neglected to notify
@Pancho Frijoles about the creation of this thread. That was an oversight, a mistake, on my part.
