Claims and Teachings - Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 37
37 traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. " (2 Tim 3: 1-4). "When the son of man coraeth shall :he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18: 8). "Holding a form of godliness but having denied the power thereof. " Does not this reveal a worse condition than that of Jews? Are men devoid of faith and bent low upon earth, capable of understanding heavenly things and a right interpretation of the prophecies ?. Did the Jews intentionally reject the blessing for which they were so anxiously waiting? No sensible person would hold this opinion. They were surrounded with difficulties at the time and keenly felt the necessity of Divine help. They were ready to hail their deliverer and were impatiently waiting for his appearance. They were God's; chosen people. Innumerable blessings had been promised to them upon the acceptance of the Messiah. Nay, the very idea that a Messiah would appear among them was a comfort to them amid all their troubles. Jerusalem, that beloved city, to be made the centre of the world, the Jews to be raised above every people, peace and security to be restored for ever ; how pleasing the idea and how rapturous the delight ! Could these men reject this blessing intentionally? That is a cruel idea, to say the least of it. No; they remained involved in a serious error as to the true significance of the prophecies. Even assuming that they were excusable for having fallen into such an error, not the slightest excuse is left for this generation for falling into the same error again. The people to whom every blessing had been promised, who were termed as God's chosen people, were condemned for falling in to an error ; let us take care that we are not making the same error over again. We have seen the fulfilment of the signs with our eyes, we know that this is the time ; let not then a literal interpreta- tion of the word of prophecy be a hinderance in our way, for we