the
Word from God, and a great one and chaste."(49) By the term "Word" is
meant Jesus, Whose coming Yahya foretold. Moreover, in the heavenly
Scriptures it is written: "John the Baptist was preaching in the
wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye: for the Kingdom of heaven is
at hand."(50) By John is meant Yahya.

Likewise, ere the beauty of Muhammad was unveiled, the signs of the
visible heaven were made manifest. As to the signs of the invisible
heaven, there appeared four men who successively announced unto the people
the joyful tidings of the rise of that divine Luminary. Ruz-bih, later
named Salman, was honoured by being in their service. As the end of one of
these approached, he would send Ruz-bih unto the other, until the fourth
who, feeling his death to be nigh, addressed Ruz-bih saying: "O Ruz-bih!
when thou hast taken up my body and buried it, go to Hijaz for there the
Day-star of Muhammad will arise. Happy art thou, for thou shalt behold His
face!"

And now concerning this wondrous and most exalted Cause. Know thou verily
that many an astronomer hath announced the appearance of its star in the
visible heaven. Likewise, there appeared on earth Ahmad and Kazim,(51)
those twin resplendent lights--may God sanctify their resting-place!

From all that We have stated it hath become clear and manifest that before
the revelation of each of the Mirrors reflecting the divine Essence, the
signs heralding their advent must needs be revealed in the visible heaven
as well as in the invisible, wherein is the seat of the sun of knowledge,
of the moon of wisdom, and of the stars of understanding and utterance.
The sign of the invisible heaven must needs be revealed in the person of
that perfect man who, before each Manifestation appeareth, educateth, and
prepareth the souls of men for the advent of the divine Luminary, the
Light of the unity of God amongst men.

And now, with reference to His words: "And then shall all the tribes of
the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of
heaven with power and great glory." These words signify that in those days
men will lament the loss of the Sun of the divine beauty, of the Moon of
knowledge, and of the Stars of divine wisdom. Thereupon, they will behold
the countenance of the promised One, the adored Beauty, descending from
heaven and riding upon the clouds. By this is meant that the divine Beauty
will be made manifest from the heaven of the will of