The question was asked as to what was meant by continuing revelation or Progressive Revelation as Baha'is prefer to call it. Since the question was off-topic for that thread I thought I would post a new thread addressing that question.
Continuing revelation is based on the premise that God will never leave humanity alone and that divine revelation did not therefore end with the Bible or the Qur'an. Mormons, I think it can be said, believe in continuous revelation at least since Joseph Smith, having routinized it within their church structure. For them each prophet is said to be elected by the divinely guided leadership.
The Baha'i concept of continuing revelation operates quite differently. We see God as revealing Himself through His Manifestations, individuals who don't merely receive a revelation from God but embody in their own Persons everything we can know about God humanly speaking. Centuries or even a millennium may pass before the appearance of a new Manifestation. How do we test the validity of a claimant? First, there is the Person of the Manifestation Himself. Second, there is the Word which He reveals and third there is the transforming potency of His revelation.
For instance, when I was a Christian I believed in Christ because of what I read about His life in the Gospels. I couldn't read those without seeing God in Jesus. Likewise I believed in the Bible as the Word of God because through it I heard God speak. Finally there was the ability of the Christian message to bring about spiritual transformation. All these proofs I saw in Christianity applied to the Baha'i Faith as well.
The performance of miracles or fulfillment of prophecy, in my book are secondary matters at best.
Ultimately, i suppose this all boils down to "ye shall know them by their fruits."
Continuing revelation is based on the premise that God will never leave humanity alone and that divine revelation did not therefore end with the Bible or the Qur'an. Mormons, I think it can be said, believe in continuous revelation at least since Joseph Smith, having routinized it within their church structure. For them each prophet is said to be elected by the divinely guided leadership.
The Baha'i concept of continuing revelation operates quite differently. We see God as revealing Himself through His Manifestations, individuals who don't merely receive a revelation from God but embody in their own Persons everything we can know about God humanly speaking. Centuries or even a millennium may pass before the appearance of a new Manifestation. How do we test the validity of a claimant? First, there is the Person of the Manifestation Himself. Second, there is the Word which He reveals and third there is the transforming potency of His revelation.
For instance, when I was a Christian I believed in Christ because of what I read about His life in the Gospels. I couldn't read those without seeing God in Jesus. Likewise I believed in the Bible as the Word of God because through it I heard God speak. Finally there was the ability of the Christian message to bring about spiritual transformation. All these proofs I saw in Christianity applied to the Baha'i Faith as well.
The performance of miracles or fulfillment of prophecy, in my book are secondary matters at best.
Ultimately, i suppose this all boils down to "ye shall know them by their fruits."