Ahmadiyya Movement — Page 18
18 centuries after Moses, a great reformer had to be raised in the person of Jesus whose mission was greater and far more com- prehensive than that of other Jewish prophets. Islam could not be an exception to this general rule. It was given out beforehand in a prophecy that sometimes later the rising tide of Islam would not only receive a check, but would also lose its spiritual hold on the hearts of Moslems themselves and wrong and varied interpretations would take the place of its pure teachings. It was also promised that at such a juncture God would raise a Messiah from among the Moslems to do the same work as did Jesus for the Mosaic dispensation. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) has, therefore, appeared thirteen hundred years after the Holy Prophet (on whom be peace and the blessings of God) in the same manner as Jesus of Nazareth ap- peared thirteen hundred years after Moses (on both of whom be peace) and on the appearance of the Promised Messiah men have fallen into the same error into which they had fallen on the ap- pearance of Jesus. At that time men awaited the coming from the Heavens of the Prophet Elijah, but in place of the latter John the Baptist was sent to them, who had been born of a woman in the same manner as other men are born. In the present age, men awaited the coming down from the Heavens of Jesus himself, but a Messiah was sent to them who, in the eyes of those who have no spiritual vision, was from the earth whereas in truth he was from the Heavens, and had nothing in common with the earth, for, had it not been so, he would not have been able to lead thousands of men to the Heavens. How inconsistent is the memory of these men ! They await the coming down of Jesus from the Heavens, but they have forgotten his words that are present on the earth. For Jesus said, “And no man hath ascended up to Heaven but he that came down from Heaven. ” Now, is it not strange that, knowing that Jesus was born on the earth and did not descend from the Heavens”; these people believe that in his second advent he would descend from the Heavens ? He