Claims and Teachings - Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 28
this Jesus pointed to John and told the Jews that "This is Elias which was for to come. " Bat how could the Jews believe it? Any impostor, they argued, could say this. Almighty God had promised to them that the prophet Elijah himself would be sent back and this much they were sure that John could not be Elijah as they knew him to have been born in the house of Zacharias while Elijah was to come down from heaven. It was, no doubt, the right time for the coming of the Messiah, but Jesus, they thought, could not be the Promised one as he did not appear in the manner described in their books. The prophecy clearly in- dicated that Elijah himself would come* It did not say that the like of Elijah would come. Even if they had believed Jesus, they could have supposed John to be the like of Elijah but not Elijah himself. Yet the like of Elijah had never been promised to them. How could they change the Word of God and read for "Elijah," "the like of Elijah," The very first condition which could have pointed out the adveut of the Messiah 'was totally wanting. The Jews had other difficulties in recognising Jesus, as the true Messiah. Whenever the deliverance of Israel was brought about it was by means of striking miracles, so that the chosen people might at once recognise their deliverer. They had seen extraordinary manifestations of Divine power; they had heard His voice amidst wind and storrn ; they had seen Him manifest- ing Himself to Moses amidst. thunder and convulsions of nature at the Sinai; and they had been told to expeot similar wonderful signs at the advent of the Messiah. Apart from such prophecies the idea was deeply rooted in their hearts that such a great deliverer as the long-expected Messiah ought to have his advent declared by some such startling revelation. But how were their expectations fulfilled? They witnessed nothing extraordinary