Immanence and Transcendence in Divine Scripture

Abstract

Various anthropomorphic and naturalistic symbols are used in biblical, quranic, and Bahá’í scriptures to depict theophanies—the appearance of God and the divine in the realm of creation. Many of the same theophanic symbols that appear in biblical and quranic scriptures are used in the writings of Bahá’u’lláh to communicate Bahá’u’lláh’s own divinity and to connect his ministry with past redemptive history. Such symbols include an “angel,” “fire,” and the prophets’ claims lo be God incarnate, symbolically the “face” or “voice” of God. This article examines the theological significance of some of these symbols, giving special emphasis to how they are used by Bahá’u’lláh to convey the immanence or transcendence of God and to create continuity between his own revelation and past revelations.