Who Was Baha’u’llah, and How Can We Evaluate His Claims?

[Trailblazer]

Noah is a 'manifestation'? That's a new one!

Baha'u'llah never said that Noah was a Manifestation of God, but whatever He wrote is more accurate than the Bible could ever be.
#159 Trailblazer, 3 minutes ago

 

[TransmutingSoul]

You're doing the same thing... Telling someone from another religion that their beliefs and interpretations of their own Scriptures are wrong. "Oh dear"? and "uninformed"? You know the reasons why some Christians came to the conclusion that Jesus must be God in the flesh. It might be wrong, to you, but uninformed? And where does that get you? They'll tell you are wrong and following a false Christ and you'll tell them they don't know what they're talking about. Is that the best way Baha'is, again, if it's true, to present their religion? Because I don't see that bringing peace and understanding between people of different religions, just helping promote what divides them. Which might be a good way for some religions, but is it really the best way for Baha'is?

See it how you choose to CG. It is not the part about the station of Christ I was referring to.

So I give you an Oh Dear as well.

Regards Tony

 

[rational experiences]

Natural law cosmic history is first said by man's authority. Legal branch ordained to deal with human liars and first rich man's evil life control families slavery.

O God is rock legal.
Heavens is mass spirit....no spirit gas owned flesh...rock.

Notice it's human science terms.

Entity I name legal as God. No man is God legal.

Reason men named earths substances as they are seen observed on the rock. Planet first.

Alchemy non invasive of life built a machine. Conscious man says machine is like a man. Not reactive body first machine position isn't harmful.

He gave the machine the flesh of God earth. By cross + designed calculus.

Position man I am conscious human first. Position where I compare a human to a machine body Ai exact first in Alchemy. Artificial. I say it's terms...no man is God. I claimed my machine represented God.

In nature there is no comparison to a human it's a contradiction....a machine never existed.

So man said I quantify legally O cosmic law is first not man's science law O and rock is God. Spirit without flesh are the heavens gases...gods owned immaculate.

Then the sun blasted earth changed God the entity evilly. O planet earth.

No man is God.

Self idolator first position a theist just a human a thinking claim I know it all man. Exuding ignorance and egotism. Theories against terms of God.

Taught status. No man is God

He wanted the flesh of God earth rock to be converted by his scientists will.

So he used the cross numbers + added a calculus. Based on the star from sun a dead body. Proven by moon as rock substance sitting near earth.

Not a living planet.

Sun owned dead bodies.

His brain mind gas burnt by star mass. He then used a changed human mind to theory. Position man's science history reasoned.

Changed bio chemicals life by his science terms produces phenomena to the atmospheric mass natural holy first position he taught was not owned by man.

Second position his biology lives in the experience. Mass holy heavens not flesh was changed. Then his human bio flesh was sacrificed.

Exactly taught.

Said as I used the add I T ion. I sacrificed my life on the cross. + T value I removed the head of the cross.

Symbolic inference of his man scientists. Easier to explain a story by basic symbols.

Confession only of a man human theist scientist as first designer position self idolator. The man who caused the sacrifice of human life.

The scientist self idolator.

Changed brain made you worse as a self human idolator not mutual or teaching mutuality. You taught you were special.

It was only inherited unnatural phenomena. Scientific caused. The origin however belonged to cosmic history the fallen star mass which you hadn't owned. The position that no scientist man owned was cosmic natural history.

We were taught don't be fooled by his egotism.

The warning.

Man's human status as a behaviour of notice.

Lord of trade first. Civilisation was built first. King used lords of trade to invent science. King human lied human lord both were life Sacrificed.

Gods science never safe.

No man is God teaching.

As earths substances are Multi varied each given a topic subject and term. Wasn't the God belonged to earth as a God term. Legal said I give the planets it's natural legal cosmic state as God.

So no one could argue against the legality of a natural cosmic body. No man was God the substances of gods flesh. Legal said I state God is one name legally God.

God owned all things naturally. And owning one name only it didn't allow for human theorising separation functions.

Said God was holy legally as was it's earth heavens. Dusts holy. Never name them or change them.

Legal.

Legal only.

Civilisation and governing are only human choices of men.

So the cross + and O time was Phi addition first. Human man's sciences. Only theoried by human men thinking first. Their God of science never first existed.

Their God of science was given flesh in a machines reaction of dusts.

An exact teaching men using men words invented as man's sciences that never owned cosmic law.

The reason no man is God legally.

And the reason they said don't self human idolise as it was a changed human who did.

 

[CG Didymus]

Noah is a 'manifestation'? That's a new one!

So many things in the Baha'i Faith are vague enough to where they can be almost anything they want them to be. Here's what I found...

The Báb referred to Noah as a Manifestation of God who came after Adam,[1] and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá confirmed the Biblical genealogy designating Adam as an ancestor of the Patriarchs in the Bible.[2]

Bahá’u’lláh refers to Noah in the Kitab-i-Iqan describing Him as a Prophet who attempted to bring security to His people through His teachings and being persecuted as a result writing:

"Among the Prophets was Noah. For nine hundred and fifty years He prayerfully exhorted His people and summoned them to the haven of security and peace. None, however, heeded His call. Each day they inflicted on His blessed person such pain and suffering that no one believed He could survive. How frequently they denied Him, how malevolently they hinted their suspicion against Him!"[3]

He also noted Noah was attached to material things and the traditions of His forefathers prior to His Revelation describing Him and His followers as being reborn through His acceptance of God's Message:

"For instance, consider that among the Prophets was Noah. When He was invested with the robe of Prophethood, and was moved by the Spirit of God to arise and proclaim His Cause, whoever believed in Him and acknowledged His Faith, was endowed with the grace of a new life."
​

Here's a Baha'i article that lists the usual names...

Throughout the ages, humanity’s spiritual, intellectual and moral capacities have been cultivated by the Founders of the great religions, among them Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Muḥammad, and—in more recent times—the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh.

These Figures are not simply ordinary people with a greater knowledge than others. Rather they are Manifestations of God, Who have exerted an incomparable influence on the evolution of human society.​

Here's an article that includes Adam on the list...

Bahá’u’lláh referred to several historical figures as Manifestations. They include Adam, Noah, Zoroaster, Krishna, Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad. The Báb, as well as Himself, were included in this definition.

In the Bahá’í definition, there is a distinction between minor prophets and major Prophets, also referred to as lesser/greater, dependent/independent, follower/universal, and other similar phrases. The major Prophets are referred to as the Manifestations of God, and compared to the sun, which produces its own heat and light. The minor prophets are likened to the moon, which receives its light from the sun.

Moses, for example, is taught as having been a major Prophet and his brother Aaron a minor prophet. Moses spoke on behalf of God, and Aaron spoke on behalf of Moses.(Exodus 4:14-17) Other Jewish prophets came in the shadow of the dispensation of Moses to develop and consolidate the process he set in motion...

Bahá’ís believe that God has always sent Messengers and Prophets whose messages have reached every people. Although Bahá’u’lláh mentioned several figures as Manifestations, this list is meant to imply who are the greater-prophets who still have followers in the world. Therefore Adam, Noah and other figures are still regarded as Manifestations.​

So, who's a "manifestation" and who's not? I'm just going by what these articles said. But, whether or not Noah was a manifestation, wasn't the only problem. Part of what Baha'u'llah said about Noah was that he was 950 years old. But we know Baha'is don't believe that. So, he was being "symbolic"? So, some things he says aren't literally true? That would really make things interesting.

 

[CG Didymus]

See it how you choose to CG. It is not the part about the station of Christ I was referring to.

So I give you an Oh Dear as well.

Regards Tony

Not the part of the "station" of Christ? You can't clarify what you were referring to.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

Jesus was God Incarnate.
MrB. was not,

There is no comparison.

(IMO)

Yes, but my thoughts would still be Oh Dear.

That is because with that opinion there is no strong foundation to make it upon, it is just an uninformed opinion.

What I can offer is that the Life of Jesus Christ has a parallel comparison with that of the Bab, and the Bab came to prepare the Way for the 'One whom God would make Manifest', exactly what Jesus Christ did as well.

This is but one list, there are many more as they were both Lambs off Biblical prophecy.

It indicates the remarkable similarity in the story of their lives:

1. They were both youthful.

2. They were both known for their meekness and loving kindness.

3. They both performed healing miracles.

4. The period of their ministry was very brief in each case, and moved with dramatic swiftness to its climax. Jesus 3 years, the Bab 6 years (Interesting twice as long)

5. Both of them boldly challenged the time-honoured conventions, laws, and rites of the religions into which they had been born.

6. They courageously condemned the unbridled graft and corruption which they saw on every side, both religious and secular.

7. The purity of their own lives shamed the people among whom they taught.

8. Their chief enemies were among the religious leaders of the land. These officials were the instigators of the outrages they were made to suffer.

9. They both had indignities heaped upon them.

10. They were both forcibly brought before the government authorities and were subject to public interrogation.

11. They were both scourged following this interrogation.

12. They both went, first in triumph then in suffering, through the streets of the city where they were to be slain.

13. They were both paraded publicly, and heaped with humiliation, on the way to their place of martyrdom.

14. They both spoke words of hope and promise to the one who was to die with them; in fact, almost the exact same words: 'Thou shalt be with me in paradise.'

15. They were both martyred publicly before the hostile gaze of the onlookers who crowded the scene.

16. A darkness covered the land following their slaying, in each case beginning at noon.

17. Their bodies were both lacerated by soldiers at the time of their slaying.

18. They both remained in ignominious suspension before the eyes of an unfriendly multitude.

19. Their bodies came finally into the hands of their loving followers.

20. When their bodies, in each case, had vanished from the spot where they had been placed, the religious leaders explained away the fact.

21. Only a handful of their followers were with them at the times of their deaths.

22. In each case, one of their chief disciples denied knowing them. This same disciple, in each case, later became a hero.

23. Each of them had an outstanding woman follower who played a dramatic part in making the disciples turn their faces from the past, and look toward the future.

24. Confusion, bewilderment and despair seized their followers in each case, following their martyrdom.

25. Through their disciples (the Peters and Pauls of each age) their Faiths were carried to all parts of the world.

26. They both replied with the same exact
words to the question: Are you the Promised One? (I Am)

27. Each of them addressed their disciples, charging them to carry their messages to the ends of the earth." (God Passes By, Shoghi Effendi)

From pp. 87-88 Thief in the Night by William Sears.

So, now there is a foundation for my Oh Dear. That list can be greatly expanded.

Regards Tony

Not the part of the "station" of Christ? You can't clarify what you were referring to.

"There is no comparison".

Regards Tony

 

[rational experiences]

If a human just a man said legal as highest cause of life's truth for and by human. Lifes justices.

No man is God.

Your name is man. And a human man.

By your only presence man owns one word about man. The man first no name and all equal the man.

So as you see type is human by seeing looking your only name is a man.

So using titles you taught was illegal as no man on earth owned a title as the natural man. Equal man.

The natural man's argument legal was versus the theist man scientists Rich man Satan cult. Illegally rich who were never brought to trial. Inventive cruelty of nature on earth..

Past criminals murderers rich men then inventive traders by machine who sacrificed life.

An exact taught testimonial of man versus satanist.

It was legal about man on earths position.

Man first. Holy man. Natural man.

It was about governing and trade and unfairness of a chosen human brothers mentality.

About families slavery and unnatural ownership of earth as a product. As earth belonged to itself. Earth supported all nature.
Legal.

The Noah's Ark story stated the rich man king who caused Adam was linked in science to why the ark built causes as he lived involved the near destruction of all life on earth

Involving all stated witnessed earth phenomena. A testimony of causes.

Detailed by law as a letter given a value of a number that formed words that best quantified a humans speaking purpose. First position a natural word user.

Became legal proof that a human thinking using words first had caused the attack. By letter to number and evaluation.

It was a legal document only. Calculated after the fact.

Why it's strange by text.

Is why a human says you don't control earth heavens or it's flooding. In human sciences.

Earth plus heavens first natural both destructive natural activity in natural conditions not human controlled.

Was observed human science.

Humans were legally told you do not own any legal right to theory.

And it was legal. Ignored today.

 

[joelr]

Of course, Baha'is believe there are prophecies that show that in the end times there will be two manifestations of God and that they'd both come from Persia... and that the first one would come in 1844 or 1260 in the Islamic calendar. But, since Baha'is believe all the major religions predicted these things, then there should be prophecies in all the major religions to support this. Do you know of any such Scriptures? I've only heard a few very vague and out of context Bible verses they use.

No there are no such prophecies. They use numerology, gematra and all kinds of crank to find random dates.

 

[loverofhumanity]

So, the Christian interpretation of something in the Jewish Scriptures is right? And then Christian interpretations of things in their Scriptures are wrong, and Baha'u'llah had to correct them? You know things like the Holy Spirt being the Comforter. Oh yeah, but he corrects the Jews too. Their interpretations of Isaac being the son taken by Abraham to be sacrificed instead of Ishmael like Baha'u'llah says? It is obvious that for some Baha'is, their interpretation can be the only one that is correct.

Hi CG. I’m back from studies so will try and humbly contribute and offer some perspectives. I personally do not think any believer has fully understood his/her own scriptures, only partially.

I believe, from Baha’u’llah’s interpretation along with Abdul-Baha and Shoghi Effendi, that the Bible predicted all the Prophets up until the present day. That is Christ, Muhammad, the Bab and Baha’u’llah.

This is gleaned from intensive reading, research and study and cannot all be posted on this forum as it is too comprehensive but the affect on my heart was what really convinced me.

Human interpretations can but lead to conflicting understandings so what is required is one that comes from God. In both the Torah and Gospels respectively, Daniel is told to go his own way when seeking to interpret prophecies and in Revelation it says no man on earth or in heaven can unseal the meanings of the Book except the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. And in the Quran it says that the full interpretation of the Book is to be revealed.

These passages indicate the futility of personal interpretation and we have proof of this with all the divisive sects which have been formed from one interpretation or another.

All these Holy Books tell us is that only God knows the true interpretation and will reveal it through His Promised One. So what we need to do is find that Promised One and if He has appeared or not and if we so, then His interpretation would be the correct one.

So how do we ascertain that? How did the Jews know Moses was the True One and the Christians accept Christ without the Bible and Muslims accept Muhammad without the Quran?

Find the answer to that and it will lead us to the Promised One if He has appeared.

But one word of caution. Can we judge God and His Prophet’s legitimacy by fallible human reason and logic? Those who have relied on this method have inevitably led them to oppose the Prophets so what left is there?

A clue was given by Jesus when He mention that ‘the pure in heart shall see God’.

So if our hearts are not pure, will all the rhetoric and human reasoning help us ‘see God’?

 

[loverofhumanity]

You want people not to cling to their religions and cling to yours. Why would they do it? From the kettle to the frying pan. From the well to a ditch. Only the branding is different.
I have always said that believing God sending messengers to bring peace is ignorance as proved by history. Words of Jesus and Mohammad never brought any peace, they only brought strife. Add Bahaollah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and those who crop-up every second day to the list.

That’s incorrect. History proves that by disobeying the laws of God such as to love one another etc has been the cause of strife. You will find that the origin of conflict and wars has been committed by people not adhering to their religion’s teachings.

If Christ says to love and be united and Christians do the exact opposite then that only proves the merit and worth of Christ’s admonition, that to go against it causes all sorts of problems.

Same with Muhammad. He forbid violence and promoted peace. Muslims are good peace loving people in general. Muhammad forbade initiating war and in the Quran Sura 2:192 Muslims are only permitted to defend themselves if attacked first.

All religions teach love and brotherhood but after a while this is forgotten so God sends another Messenger to reestablish love and harmony.

In the Bible it says ‘Thou shalt not kill’ and if humanity universally obeyed this then there would be no wars or killings.

Thus it is proven that it is humanity’s disobedience to the laws of God which causes all the miseries and strifes.

 

[loverofhumanity]

It's hard to take a religion that talks about peace and unity and the oneness of religion seriously when members of that religion tell people in the other religions how wrong they are... That those people in those other religions have misinterpreted their own Scriptures, and it is the Baha'is that know the true meaning of those Scriptures. It doesn't matter what Baha'u'llah said or what Abdul Baha said when some Baha'is come off as spiritual know-it-alls. How's that going to bring any peace and unity to between people in the different religions? You are right when you talk about the virtues... Things like kindness, respect and humility. But Baha'is have to lead by example.

Baha’is make no interpretations and make no corrections of the interpretations of other religions.

It is Baha’u’llah Who states these things in His Book of Certitude and Abdul-Baha and Shoghi Effendi.

When Christ appeared making such claims He was considered a criminal and crucified, Muhammad was persecuted for claiming to be God’s Prophet and the Bab was executed and Baha’u’llah exiled for 40 years.

Why were all the Persons persecuted, tortured, imprisoned, crucified and exiled?

Because they dared tell the status quo they were wrong and were misleading their own followers.

Today Baha’u’llah speaks out the same and so like with all the Prophets gone before, the status quo will oppose. Baha’u’llah said this opposition is a feature of every Revelation from God.

I was once a very strong Christian. Why didn’t I consider what Baha’u’llah said as insulting to my Faith? Why did I jump up and down and cry with joy on discovering the Promised One had come?

So there are two sides to this story. Those Who recognise a new Messenger rejoice while those who as of yet do not may oppose or call our arrival at our own decision - wrong.

But as a Christian I wasn’t in the least insulted or offended to realise that my belief had been fulfilled. Why wasn’t I and millions of other people not offended as Baha’is come from Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, Jew, Babi and Zoroastrian backgrounds?

So you’re saying we don’t have the right to believe Baha’u’llah is the Promised One of all these religions because the majority of them don’t agree yet? We all found Baha’u’llah through our own religions scriptures. So does that make us all heretics to our previous religion?

Couldn’t the Jews have been wrong about Christ or Christians about Muhammad or Muslims about Baha’u’llah? Despite Jews denying, billions of people follow Christ and despite Christians also denying, billions of people see truth in Muhammad as a Prophet.

So what if they are all true? That all These Great Messengers are all from God?

If They are why should we not accept Them all? If we all accepted each other’s Messenger would that lead to wars or peace, hatred or love?

 

[CG Didymus]

"There is no comparison".

Regards Tony

Okay, yeah I can see why a Baha'i would say, "Oh dear". But you know how some Christians have put Jesus, and by some verses in the NT I can see why, to the top... all the way up to be equal to God. Some people would call that being blasphemous. But then turn it around, and for those trinitarian Christians, putting anyone to the level of Jesus, would be blasphemous. And that's what Baha'is are doing. But not just with Baha'u'llah, but with his forerunner, his "Elijah", he, the Bab, is also made a manifestation. But then Muhammad and Moses and all other manifestations are brought to an equal level with Jesus.

The problem I see is that Baha'is could be and should be the peacemakers, the unifiers between the different religions, but by focusing on the unprovable, controversial claims of Baha'u'llah and the Baha'i Faith, Baha'is are not the cause of unity, but of focusing on the biggest differences there are between the different religions... the claim that some new guy is their new prophet... that he is the fulfillment of their religion. And, of course, that they, those people in the other religions are wrong about how they misinterpreted most everything that their prophet had said.

The threads make for good arguing. Some go on for months, with hundreds of posts, but do they get anywhere? But you know that... It has obviously been frustrating for you, but these types of threads started by anybody in any religion are all destined to get people on both sides frustrated. I think the Baha'is way of doing would be on along the lines of finding the common ground between the people in the other religions and with the Atheists... instead of, which it seems to me, promoting Baha'u'llah as the only answer for today's problems. To you, he is. But it's only going to draw out those people that disagree with you. Which does make interesting and long but tedious threads.

 

[CG Didymus]

Hi CG. I’m back from studies so will try and humbly contribute and offer some perspectives. I personally do not think any believer has fully understood his/her own scriptures, only partially.

I believe, from Baha’u’llah’s interpretation along with Abdul-Baha and Shoghi Effendi, that the Bible predicted all the Prophets up until the present day. That is Christ, Muhammad, the Bab and Baha’u’llah.

This is gleaned from intensive reading, research and study and cannot all be posted on this forum as it is too comprehensive but the affect on my heart was what really convinced me.

Human interpretations can but lead to conflicting understandings so what is required is one that comes from God. In both the Torah and Gospels respectively, Daniel is told to go his own way when seeking to interpret prophecies and in Revelation it says no man on earth or in heaven can unseal the meanings of the Book except the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. And in the Quran it says that the full interpretation of the Book is to be revealed.

These passages indicate the futility of personal interpretation and we have proof of this with all the divisive sects which have been formed from one interpretation or another.

All these Holy Books tell us is that only God knows the true interpretation and will reveal it through His Promised One. So what we need to do is find that Promised One and if He has appeared or not and if we so, then His interpretation would be the correct one.

So how do we ascertain that? How did the Jews know Moses was the True One and the Christians accept Christ without the Bible and Muslims accept Muhammad without the Quran?

Find the answer to that and it will lead us to the Promised One if He has appeared.

But one word of caution. Can we judge God and His Prophet’s legitimacy by fallible human reason and logic? Those who have relied on this method have inevitably led them to oppose the Prophets so what left is there?

A clue was given by Jesus when He mention that ‘the pure in heart shall see God’.

So if our hearts are not pure, will all the rhetoric and human reasoning help us ‘see God’?

Now I'm leaving for a weekend in the mountains. Talk to you when I get back.

 

[Truthseeker]

The only good evidence that one could provide that he was actually a prophet of God is demonstrating that he had knowledge only the creator of the universe would know.

Until a prophet of God gives us a working Theory of Everything that's at least several centuries ahead of our current scientific models, then there's no good evidence that they are a prophet of God.

In fact, that is the minimum criteria for merely suspecting that they are a prophet of God, by my mileage, because there could be a number of other ways they obtained such a ToE without recourse to God. So it's only a starting place.

Since Baha'u'llah can't even do that, then he clearly wasn't a prophet of God.

You are only looking at it from an intellectual point of view, as in intellectual knowledge. A Prophet of God's purpose is to improve our behavior, our character, our spirituality. Scientific knowledge can be used for either good or bad ends, it doesn't necessarily improve our world.

The real criterion to decide if someone who claims to be a Prophet of God is what is his character like and are what he did noble works as best as you can know it, does he inspire people around him to better character and good works, does his writings over a longer period of time inspire people to have better character and good works, in Baha'u'llah's case since he claimed to be the fulfilment of previous religions whether what he taught is compatible with the spiritual teachings of previous Prophets, and finally do the writings of Baha'u'llah inspire something inside you.

edit: I forgot the criterion of whether he profited from making his claims, or did he suffer as a result and yet steadfastly stick to his claims. This all goes to his sincerity as well the criterion of whether his character was good. Were his writings cogent and sane, or show signs of delusion or insanity? That ticks the box of him being sincere but not making a claim out of delusion or insanity.

Yes, advanced scientific knowledge revealed by him would convince you, but you would not value what you have gained if it came so easily. We are asked to earn faith in Baha'u'llah.

I say all this believing that this will be an insufficient starting point for you. You would have to investigate all of the above, but I don't think you will. I've been at this too long to believe otherwise for those of a scientific publicly objective bent. It's not a waste of time for me though because it increases my own spiritual health if I write this without any ill-will towards you and in writing this my own knowledge increases a little.

 

[Truthseeker]

I am not entitled to my opinion, Tony?

You are jumping to a conclusion here. I believe you are entitled to your opinion. Tony can speak for himself.

 

[Truthseeker]

Because Baha'is are telling someone from another religions that they, the Baha'is, know the proper interpretation of his own Scriptures. Isn't their some Baha'i quote about consorting with people in the other religions with kindness? I think Baha'is should treat people in the other religions with lots more respect than to tell them how wrong they are about their own Scriptures.

We shouldn't tell them they are wrong just from our own perspective, but most of the opinions we post are based a lot on what Baha'u'llah, or the interpeters 'Abdu'l-Baha or Shoghi Effendi said. We are striving to be true to those. We are entitled to do that after we have investigated Baha'u'llah's claims and believe in them. You are entitled to not believe in those claims after whatever investigation you have made.

 

[Truthseeker]

Yet, if asked, Baha'is do have a definition for both don't they?

Any definition we would come up with would be inadequate.

 

[Truthseeker]

Of course, Baha'is believe there are prophecies that show that in the end times there will be two manifestations of God and that they'd both come from Persia... and that the first one would come in 1844 or 1260 in the Islamic calendar. But, since Baha'is believe all the major religions predicted these things, then there should be prophecies in all the major religions to support this. Do you know of any such Scriptures? I've only heard a few very vague and out of context Bible verses they use.

There are prophecies in Hinduism and Buddhism, but they are not very clear at all about what time it would occur.

 

[Trailblazer]

The real criterion to decide if someone who claims to be a Prophet of God is what is his character like and are what he did noble works as best as you can know it, does he inspire people around him to better character and good works, does his writings over a longer period of time inspire people to have better character and good works.

Yes Duane, you are right on the money.

“What then is the mission of the divine prophets? Their mission is the education and advancement of the world of humanity. They are the real teachers and educators, the universal instructors of mankind. If we wish to discover whether any one of these great souls or messengers was in reality a prophet of God we must investigate the facts surrounding His life and history; and the first point of our investigation will be the education He bestowed upon mankind. If He has been an educator, if He has really trained a nation or people, causing it to rise from the lowest depths of ignorance to the highest station of knowledge, then we are sure that He was a prophet. This is a plain and clear method of procedure, proof that is irrefutable. We do not need to seek after other proofs.”
Bahá’í World Faith, p. 273

 

[Truthseeker]

Yes Duane, you are right on the money.

“What then is the mission of the divine prophets? Their mission is the education and advancement of the world of humanity. They are the real teachers and educators, the universal instructors of mankind. If we wish to discover whether any one of these great souls or messengers was in reality a prophet of God we must investigate the facts surrounding His life and history; and the first point of our investigation will be the education He bestowed upon mankind. If He has been an educator, if He has really trained a nation or people, causing it to rise from the lowest depths of ignorance to the highest station of knowledge, then we are sure that He was a prophet. This is a plain and clear method of procedure, proof that is irrefutable. We do not need to seek after other proofs.”
Bahá’í World Faith, p. 273

I could have listed more criterion I suppose, like did he profit from his claims or did he suffer from his claims. Hard to think of everything. I could edit my previous post to include those. I think I will.