The Bearers Of The Trust Of God Are Made

Sources: Gleanings From The Writings Of Baha'u'llah

The Bearers of the Trust of God are made manifest unto the peoples of the

earth as the Exponents of a new Cause and the Revealers of a new Message.

Inasmuch as these Birds of the celestial Throne are all sent down from the

heaven of the Will of God, and as they all arise to proclaim His

irresistible Faith, they, therefore, are regarded as one soul and the same

person. For they all drink from the one Cup of the love of God, and all< r />
partake of the fruit of the same Tree of Oneness.



These Manifestations of God have each a twofold station. One is the

station of pure abstraction and essential unity. In this respect, if thou

callest them all by one name, and dost ascribe to them the same

attributes, thou hast not erred from the truth. Even as He hath revealed:

"No distinction do We make between any of His Messengers." For they, one

and all, summon the people of the earth to acknowledge the unity of God,

and herald unto them the Kaw_th_ar of an infinite grace and bounty. They

are all invested with the robe of prophethood, and are honored with the

mantle of glory. Thus hath Muhammad, the Point of the Qur'an, revealed: "I

am all the Prophets." Likewise, He saith: "I am the first Adam, Noah,

Moses, and Jesus." Similar statements have been made by Imam 'Ali. Sayings

such as these, which indicate the essential unity of those Exponents of

Oneness, have also emanated from the Channels of God's immortal utterance,

and the Treasuries of the gems of Divine knowledge, and have been recorded

in the Scriptures. These Countenances are the recipients of the Divine

Command, and the Day Springs of His Revelation. This Revelation is exalted

above the veils of plurality and the exigencies of number. Thus He saith:

"Our Cause is but One." Inasmuch as the Cause is one and the same, the

Exponents thereof also must needs be one and the same. Likewise, the Imams

of the Muhammadan Faith, those lamps of certitude, have said: "Muhammad is

our first, Muhammad is our last, Muhammad our all."



It is clear and evident to thee that all the Prophets are the Temples of

the Cause of God, Who have appeared clothed in divers attire. If thou wilt

observe with discriminating eyes, thou wilt behold Them all abiding in the

same tabernacle, soaring in the same heaven, seated upon the same throne,

uttering the same speech, and proclaiming the same Faith. Such is the

unity of those Essences of Being, those Luminaries of infinite and

immeasurable splendor! Wherefore, should one of these Manifestations of

Holiness proclaim saying: "I am the return of all the Prophets," He,

verily, speaketh the truth. In like manner, in every subsequent

Revelation, the return of the former Revelation is a fact, the truth of

which is firmly established....



The other station is the station of distinction, and pertaineth to the

world of creation, and to the limitations thereof. In this respect, each

Manifestation of God hath a distinct individuality, a definitely

prescribed mission, a predestined revelation, and specially designated

limitations. Each one of them is known by a different name, is

characterized by a special attribute, fulfils a definite mission, and is

entrusted with a particular Revelation. Even as He saith: "Some of the



Apostles We have caused to excel the others. To some God hath spoken, some

He hath raised and exalted. And to Jesus, Son of Mary, We gave manifest

signs, and We strengthened Him with the Holy Spirit."



It is because of this difference in their station and mission that the

words and utterances flowing from these Well Springs of Divine knowledge

appear to diverge and differ. Otherwise, in the eyes of them that are

initiated into the mysteries of Divine wisdom, all their utterances are,

in reality, but the expressions of one Truth. As most of the people have

failed to appreciate those stations to which We have referred, they,

therefore, feel perplexed and dismayed at the varying utterances

pronounced by Manifestations that are essentially one and the same.



It hath ever been evident that all these divergencies of utterance are

attributable to differences of station. Thus, viewed from the standpoint

of their oneness and sublime detachment, the attributes of Godhead,

Divinity, Supreme Singleness, and Inmost Essence, have been, and are

applicable to those Essences of Being, inasmuch as they all abide on the

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. 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 names and His attributes,

are made manifest in the world. Thus, He hath revealed: "Those shafts were

God's, not Thine." And also He saith: "In truth, they who plighted fealty

unto Thee, really plighted that fealty unto God." 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 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 the "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 deep immersed beneath the oceans of ancient and everlasting

holiness, or when they soared to the loftiest summits of Divine mysteries,

they claimed their utterances to be the Voice of Divinity, the Call of God

Himself.



Were the eye of discernment to be opened, it would recognize that in this

very state, they have considered themselves utterly effaced and

non-existent in the face of Him Who is the All-Pervading, the

Incorruptible. Methinks, they have regarded themselves as utter

nothingness, and deemed their mention in that Court an act of blasphemy.

For the slightest whispering of self within such a Court is an evidence of

self-assertion and independent existence. In the eyes of them that have

attained unto that Court, such a suggestion is itself a grievous

transgression. How much more grievous would it be, were aught else to be

mentioned in that Presence, were man's heart, his tongue, his mind, or his

soul, to be busied with any one but the Well-Beloved, were his eyes to

behold any countenance other than His beauty, were his ear to be inclined

to any melody but His Voice, and were his feet to tread any way but His

way....



By virtue of this station they have claimed for themselves the Voice of

Divinity and the like, whilst by virtue of their station of Messengership,

they have declared themselves the Messengers of God. In every instance

they have voiced an utterance that would conform to the requirements of

the occasion, and have ascribed all these declarations to Themselves,

declarations ranging from the realm of Divine Revelation to the realm of

creation, and from the domain of Divinity even unto the domain of earthly

existence. Thus it is that whatsoever be their utterance, whether it

pertain to the realm of Divinity, Lordship, Prophethood, Messengership,

Guardianship, Apostleship, or Servitude, all is true, beyond the shadow of

a doubt. Therefore these sayings which We have quoted in support of Our

argument must be attentively considered, that the divergent utterances of

the Manifestations of the Unseen and Day Springs of Holiness may cease to

agitate the soul and perplex the mind.