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Recall that the Old Testament clearly states that Elijah was to be sent by God before the First Coming of Christ. Understandably, people were expecting that this promise was to be fulfilled literally. Indeed, God had given no indication that it would be fulfilled in any other way but literally. Nevertheless, it wasn't (128:3) Christ explained that the return of Elijah had a symbolic meaning, not a literal one. Return, in this case, signified the return of a person with the same qualities and the same purpose. Christ explained to His disciples that the return of Elijah was fulfilled by a different person, with a different name: John the Baptist. Nevertheless, his return was indeed fulfilled, and Christians recognize this (128:4) Those who believe in Christ now understand the true meaning of the return of Elijah. In the same sense that Christ signified that the return of Elijah had been fulfilled, Baha'is believe that Christ Himself has returned (128:5) Baha'is believe that the same divine love and knowledge, the same power, the same holiness - in fact, all the attributes possessed by the Son of God - have returned in the Person of Baha'u'llah. Not only this, Baha'u'llah has come to fulfill those promises which Christ gave regarding His future Return. This is the Baha'i understanding of "return" (128:6) To further illustrate: Someone may say that the spring has returned, meaning that those qualities of spring - the warmth and sunlight and rain - have returned to again bestow their blessings upon the world of nature. In the physical sense, however, spring does not return; it is rather new every time. The spring of this year is not the spring of last year. The time, the actual raindrops, the particular rays of light - all these are in fact totally different than those of any previous spring. Nevertheless, when someone states that the spring has returned, everyone understands what he or she means. They are talking about the qualities, or attributes of spring, the effect that it has on the environment and the heart of man, not the differentiating characteristics (128:7) Christ promised that at His Return, He would appear with glory:- |