O thou dear handmaid of God! Praise thou God, because thou art favoured at
His Holy Threshold, and cherished in the Kingdom of His might. Thou art
the head of an assembly which is the very imprint of the Company on high,
the mirror-image of the all-glorious realm. Strive thou with heart and
soul, in prayerful humility and self-effacement, to uphold the Law of God
and spread His sweet savours abroad. Endeavour thou to become the true
president of the assemblies of spiritual souls, and a companion to the
angels in the realm of the All-Merciful.
Thou didst ask as to the tenth to the seventeenth verses of the
twenty-first chapter of Saint John the Divine's Revelation. Know thou that
according to mathematical principles, the firmament of this earth's
brilliant day-star hath been divided among twelve constellations, which
they call the twelve zodiacal signs. In the same way, the Sun of Truth
shineth out from and sheddeth its bounties through twelve stations of
holiness, and by these heavenly signs are meant those stainless and
unsullied personages who are the very well-springs of sanctity, and the
dawning-points proclaiming the oneness of God.
Consider how in the days of the Interlocutor (Moses), there were twelve
holy beings who were leaders of the twelve tribes; and likewise in the
dispensation of the Spirit (Christ), note that there were twelve Apostles
gathered within the sheltering shade of that supernal Light, and from
those splendid dawning-points the Sun of Truth shone forth even as the sun
in the sky. Again, in the days of Muhammad, observe that there were twelve
dawning-points of holiness, the manifestors of God's confirming help. Such
is the way of it.
Accordingly did Saint John the Divine tell of twelve gates in his vision,
and twelve foundations. By 'that great city, the holy Jerusalem,
descending out of heaven from God' is meant the holy Law of God, and this
is set forth in many Tablets and still to be read in the Scriptures of the
Prophets of the past: for instance, that Jerusalem was seen going out into
the wilderness.
The meaning of the passage is that this heavenly Jerusalem hath twelve
gates, through which the blessed enter into the City of God. These gates
are souls who are as guiding stars, as portals of knowledge and grace; and
within these gates there stand twelve angels. By 'angel' is meant the
power of the confirmations of God--that the candle of God's confirming
power shineth out from the lamp-niche of those souls--meaning that every
one of those beings will be granted the most vehement confirming support.
These twelve gates surround the entire world, that is they are a shelter
for all creatures. And further, these twelve gates are the foundation of
the City of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and on each one of these
foundations is written the name of one of the Apostles of Christ. That is
to say, each one maketh manifest the perfections, the joyous message, and
the excellency of that holy Being.
In brief, the Scripture saith: 'And he that talked with me had a rod made
out of gold, that is, a measure, wherewith he measured the city and the
gates thereof and the towers thereof.' The meaning is that certain
personages guided the people with a staff grown out of the earth, and
shepherded them with a rod, like unto the rod of Moses. Others trained and
shepherded the people with a rod of iron, as in the dispensation of
Muhammad. And in this present cycle, because it is the mightiest of
Dispensations, that rod grown out of the vegetable kingdom and that rod of
iron will be transformed into a rod of purest gold, taken from out the
endless treasure houses in the Kingdom of the Lord. By this rod will the
people be trained.
Note well the difference: at one time the Teachings of God were as a
staff, and by this means the Holy Scriptures were spread abroad, the Law
of God was promulgated and His Faith established. Then followed a time
when the staff of the true Shepherd was as iron. And today, in this new
and splendid age, the rod is even as pure gold. How wide is the difference
here! Know, then, how much ground hath been gained by the Law of God and
His Teachings in this dispensation, how they have reached such heights
that they far transcend the dispensations gone before: truly this rod is
purest gold, while those of other days were of iron and wood.
This is a brief answer that hath been written for thee, because there was
no time for more. It is certain that thou wilt forgive me. The handmaids
of God must rise to such a station that they will, by themselves and
unaided, comprehend these inner meanings, and be able to expound at full
length every single word; a station where, out of the truth of their
inmost hearts, a spring of wisdom will well up, and jet forth even as a
fountain that leapeth from its own original source.