Fulfilment of a Grand Prophecy - Hazrat Ahmad’s Challenge to John Alexander Dowie — Page 23
Fulfillment of a Grand Prophecy followers continued to increase, and so rapid was the progress that within a few years he counted more than a hundred thousand persons as his followers and his missions were established in every country in the world. All these adherents were secured in the civilized countries of Europe and America. And he continued to win greater esteem and went on earning more and more wealth until he came in opposition to the. Promised Messiahas. If there is anybody else who predicted that such a fate would befall Dowie, viz. , that his end would be in great sorrow and suffering, and who also prophesied that the sorrow and suffering which he predicted for him would overtake Dowie before his eyes and that he would perish in his lifetime, then indeed the prophecy of the Promised Messiah's loses is extraordinariness. But if no such person can be pointed out, it is the duty of every seeker after truth to accept the truth of him who announced it long before. In fact, the very circumstances, which brought about Dowie's ruin and death, show traces of a Divine judgment in them for they were not in the ordinary course of events. The beginning of these was the attack of paralysis. . This necessitated giving the control of Zion in other hands, which was instrumental in turning away his followers from him by the disclosure of his secret doings. Had the control of Zion remained in his own hands, the whole calamity would have been averted, for none could know what he did secretly, and those who knew anything on account of their close relationship or intimacy could not have the moral courage to disclose it, for so great was the influence of. Dowie upon his disciples that in his presence they knew nothing but implicit obedience and blind submission to him. He could turn out anybody at his will and no one could question it, for he was taken to be doing all these things under Divine inspiration. In short, it was the attack of paralysis, which led to the desertion of his followers and loss of Zion, and these in their turn, contributed to his insanity and death, for his mind and body could 23 not bear up under the heavy sufferings. The fulfillment of this wonderful prophecy is thus a sign from God of the truth of the Promised. Messiah, let him who will accept it. . We have stated facts only and now we place them before the public to draw such conclusions from them as is consistent with reason and justice. . It is the duty of the press in particular to represent these facts in their true light before their readers. . It was the American and the English press, which gave publication to the prophecy and the challenge, and hence a duty lies upon the press to give, in the cause of truth, a publication to the circumstances, which constitute a fulfillment of the prophecy. The mere circumstance that the contest was between a representative of the cross and a representative of the crescent and that it has ended in the latter's favor should not be a hindrance in the way of any lover of truth, whether he is a Christian or an Atheist, to give true testimony in the case. Divine judgment has brought about the death of Dowie. Nor is this judgment inconsistent with the mercy of God, for in the death of one man there is life for many if they would have it. . We would add here for further information two other prophecies relating to Europe and. America recently published by the Promised. Messiahs. The first of these prophecies is regarding the occurrence of severe earthquakes and other terrible calamities and it is in the following words: "Bear in mind that Almighty God has informed me of earthquakes in general. . Know it for certain, then, that as earthquakes have come in America, Europe and. Asia in accordance with my former prophecies, more will yet occur in diverse places, some of which would be so severe that the destruction brought by them will be unparalleled in the world's history and will remind men of the destruction of the