Exciting ways to think about the world of creation—that is, all the worlds of God, not just the physical world—include likening it to our own solar system. At the centre of the solar system is the sun, and all other objects depend on it. The sun is the source of light, which reflects its light to everything else. Without the sun, the solar system would be plunged into darkness.
The spiritual solar system
In a similar way, the world of creation might be thought of as a spiritual solar system. At the centre is the sun. However, in this case, the sun is the world of divine revelation or the “sun of revelation.” The sun of revelation shines its light on everything else in the spiritual solar system—that is, everything in creation. Of course, in this context, the term “light” does not mean “sunlight” but, rather, reality or existence, meaning that the sun of revelation shines the light of existence onto all things. Without that light, creation would not exist. Baha’u’llah uses this basic idea of a spiritual solar system. For example, in the following passage, he likens the Word of God—that is, the sun of revelation—to the sun shining its radiance on all things in this world:
“Consider the radiance of the divine word to be like the shining of the sun. In the same way that once the sun rises, it shines on all, so once the sun of the word dawns from the will of the Lord, it sheds its illumination on all… If the hidden aid and power of the divine word were withdrawn from the world and its people for a single instant, all would be lost and annihilated. (Tablet of the Son, para. 5)
The spiritual solar system takes in all existence
Using this basic solar system concept, it is possible to tease out some of its ramifications. The spiritual solar system encompasses the entire realm of existence. Everything that exists, no matter what its nature or form, does so within that system. A thing cannot exist outside of the system. It exists only because it has been generated by the system. The spiritual solar system is infinite in all its aspects. One thousand Einsteins could never discover a limit to it. The physical universe is infinite; but it is only one of an infinite number of worlds in creation, each one of which is infinite.
Creation as a hierarchy
The spiritual solar system is set up as a hierarchy of interconnected worlds. At the top is the sun of revelation. Beyond that, the sun’s light rays of existence shine down through an infinite number of worlds on multiple levels, with each world relying on the light for its existence. Viewed in this way, creation might be thought of as a fantastic array of illumined spiritual worlds arranged on multiple levels, with the sun of revelation at the top and the physical world at the bottom.
The seven stages of creation
A theory known as the seven stages of creation offers a useful framework for imagining how a thing comes into being and eventually appears in the physical world. A thing found in the physical world today began its journey at the top in the world of revelation. At this point, a thing exists as no more than a possibility in the creative power of the world of revelation. This stage can be likened to pre-existence. As the thing passes down through the multiple levels in the world of creation, it gradually changes from one form to another until it appears as a fully-formed thing in the physical world. This process is sometimes called the arc of descent. The inverse process is the arc of ascent, where a thing returns to God after its time on earth.
Baha’u’llah did not teach the seven stages of creation theory. However, his Muslim audience was familiar with it, so he used it to help explain his own concepts about creation. The theory has many versions, which are all based on a similar narrative. The following is my version of it.
The seven stages begin at the top with the world of revelation. It has two stages. These refer to the two registers adopted by the Word of God—the Voice of Divinity and the Voice of Servitude—which are symbolized by the divine houri and the human Baha’u’llah. Below that are the five remaining stages, which relate to the rest of creation. Stage 3 is called Destiny, and it is the most important stage. This is where reality begins to take shape rather like a design, indicating its scheme and requirements. At stage 4, Decree or Fate, a thing is put together. At stage 5, Permission, it is launched. In stage 6, Fixed Time, the thing lives its life. At stage 7, the book of its life is complete.
| Stage | Explanation |
| The world of revelation | |
| 1. Will | The Voice of Divinity |
| 2. Determination | The Voice of Servitude |
| The world of creation | |
| 3. Destiny | A design that contains all the specifications for the thing’s identity and future path. |
| 4. Decree/fate | Making what has been decided on |
| 5. Permission | Launching a thing |
| 6. Fixed time | The duration of its existence |
| 7. Book | The story of its life |
Exciting ways to think about the world of creation
To conclude, exciting ways to think about the world of creation include imagining it as a hierarchical spiritual solar system. The sun of revelation is situated at the top. Its light rays of existence shine down through layers of infinite worlds, which make up the rest of creation. The result can be likened to a cascade of luminous worlds, all sustained through an infinite mirroring of light. A thing begins its existence in the world of revelation as a mere possibility. From there, it gradually develops as it passes through the stages of creation, progressing down through the intermediate worlds until it finally takes form in the physical world.
For more on the structure of creation, see Paradise of Presence, chapters 5 and 6, “The Mirror of Divine Love” and “An Infinity-Mirrored Creation.”