The Heavenly Sign — Page 15
The Heavenly Sign 15 are wasting their lives holding fast to this belief. The truth of the matter is that it is God's practice that He sometimes gives the news of the coming of a deceased prophet through some saint or recipient of revelations. By this He only means to convey that another person possessing his disposition and characteristics will appear. For example, Malachias, one of the Israelite Prophets, had foretold that Eliasas, who had been raised to Heaven, would come back to this world and that unless and until he came back, the Messiahas would not appear. The Jews stuck to the literal meaning of this prophecy so tenaciously that when Jesusas appeared they refused to accept him. Although Jesusas repeatedly explained to them that the name Eliasas only referred to Johns, son of Zechariahas, also called Yahyaas, they continued to look towards the sky, expecting Eliasas to descend in person. Thus, because of their insistence on the literal meanings, they rejected two prophets, Jesusas as well as Johns. They claimed that these were not true prophets, for, had they been true, Eliass would have descended from heaven before their very eyes, as God had foretold in the Holy Scriptures. Hence the Jews are still expecting Eliasas to descend from heaven. These unfortunate people do not know that Eliasas has already descended form the heaven and so has the Messiahas. Alas! How literal adherence to words of prophecies has harmed the world and yet it does not realize its error! A Şahih Hadith relates: 'O ye Muslims! In the latter days you will behave exactly like the Jews and follow their