rone
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. I am but a man like you." ...

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!"
[Qur'an 8:17] And also He saith: "In truth, they who plighted
fealty unto thee, really plighted that fealty unto God." [Qur'an
48:10] 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." 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
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," [Qur'an 33:40]
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 immersed beneath the oceans of
ancient and everlasting holiness, or when they soared to the
loftiest summits of divi