@ Muffled
I believe that is not true. There is no such thing as a spiritual body.
I believe there is such a thing as a spiritual body. Paul referred to spiritual bodies:
I believe that after the physical body dies, the souls of everyone who ever lived go to the spiritual world and take on a spiritual body. When Paul said that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God he meant that only spiritual bodies can enter heaven.
1st Corinthians 15:35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
I believe that all humans have a soul that continues to exist forever (is eternal) but that is not to be confused with eternal life, which is a state of the soul that is near to God, meaning that they know and love God.
Jesus Is God in the flesh so He is everywhere just a God is. However the body of Jesus is elsewhere and has not returned to earth yet.
IF Jesus was God in the flesh, Jesus could not be everywhere (omnipresent) just as God is.
IF the body of Jesus is “elsewhere” it has to be “somewhere” so it cannot be omnipresent.
I believe that is meaningless nonsense. For Jesus to return in the body He left in, it has to be a physical body.
Jesus never promised to return to earth. Jesus said
His work was finished here and He was
no more in the world.
John 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
John 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
Jesus never promised to return in the body He left in. That was an assumptions that Christians made based upon these verses from Acts 1.
Acts 1:9-11 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
I believe that the disciples were staring up into the sky as the
spirit of Jesus was taken up to heaven out of their sight. The two men dressed in white (angels) came along and asked why they were staring up into the sky because they wondered why the disciples were staring up into the sky. Then the angels told the disciples that
the same spirit of Jesus that was taken up to heaven will return just as it went to heaven,
in like manner.
The verse does not say that the disciples saw a body go up. It was the Christ Spirit that ascended, not a body, which is why the angels wondered why the disciples were staring into the sky, since there was nothing to look at. That makes perfect sense since angels can see spirits.
Descending from heaven upon the clouds means that the
spirit of Jesus, the Christ Spirit, will be made manifest from the heaven of the will of God and will appear in the form of the human temple. Though delivered from the womb of Mary, Jesus in reality descended from the heaven of the will of God. Baha’u’llah descended
in like manner, from the heaven of the will of God.
He is building a place for us. I think it is highly likely that He means the New Jerusalem since that is going to be a our home for a while.
I believe for the same reason He needs to be here: because we will always want to be with the ones we love.
I believe that Jesus went to prepare a place in heaven, because that will be our permanent home. The earth is just our temporary home, a place to learn and grow spiritually on order to prepare for heaven. No human body is immortal, but the human soul is immortal, and it will live forever in heaven, where it will take on a new form, a spiritual body.
John 14:2-3 n my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
I don't believe there is any evidence of that but you are welcome to try to provide some. Certainly the writings of the B man that you quoted doesn't have any and then he isn't in touch with the source to know anyway.
The evidence for Baha’u’llah is
His own Self (character),
His Revelation (His works, which can be seen in the history of His Mission on earth, and
His words (words He spoke which later became scriptures or scriptures written by Him in His own pen).
“Say: The first and foremost testimony establishing His truth is His own Self. Next to this testimony is His Revelation. For whoso faileth to recognize either the one or the other He hath established the words He hath revealed as proof of His reality and truth. This is, verily, an evidence of His tender mercy unto men. He hath endowed every soul with the capacity to recognize the signs of God. How could He, otherwise, have fulfilled His testimony unto men, if ye be of them that ponder His Cause in their hearts. He will never deal unjustly with any one, neither will He task a soul beyond its power. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the All-Merciful.” Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 105-106
