throne of divine Revelation, and are established upon the seat of divine
Concealment. Through their appearance the Revelation of God is made
manifest, and by their countenance the Beauty of God is revealed. Thus it
is that the accents of God Himself have been heard uttered by these
Manifestations of the divine Being.

Viewed in the light of their second station--the station of distinction,
differentiation, temporal limitations, characteristics and standards,--they
manifest absolute servitude, utter destitution and complete
self-effacement. Even as He saith: "I am the servant of God.(134) I am but
a man like you."(135)

From these incontrovertible and fully demonstrated statements strive thou
to apprehend the meaning of the questions thou hast asked, that thou
mayest become steadfast in the Faith of God, and not be dismayed by the
divergences in the utterances of His Prophets and Chosen Ones.

Were any of the all-embracing Manifestations of God to declare: "I am
God!" He verily speaketh the truth, and no doubt attacheth thereto. For it
hath been repeatedly demonstrated that through their Revelation, their
attributes and names, the Revelation of God, His name and His attributes,
are made manifest in the world. Thus, He hath revealed: "Those shafts were
God's, not Thine!"(136) And also He saith: "In truth, they who plighted
fealty unto thee, really plighted that fealty unto God."(137) And were any
of them to voice the utterance: "I am the Messenger of God," He also
speaketh the truth, the indubitable truth. Even as He saith: "Muhammad is
not the father of any man among you, but He is the Messenger of God."(138)
Viewed in this light, they are all but Messengers of that ideal King, that
unchangeable Essence. And were they all to proclaim: "I am the Seal of the
Prophets," they verily utter but the truth, beyond the faintest shadow of
doubt. For they are all but one person, one soul, one spirit, one being,
one revelation. They are all the manifestation of the "Beginning" and the
"End," the "First" and the "Last," the "Seen" and "Hidden"--all of which
pertain to Him Who is the innermost Spirit of Spirits and eternal Essence
of Essences. And were they to say: "We are the servants of God," this also
is a manifest and indisputable fact. For they have been made manifest in
the uttermost state of servitude, a servitude the like of which no man can
possibly attain. Thus in moments in which these Essences of being were
deeply immerse