Invitation to Ahmadiyyat — Page 313
313 not give the earthquake any meaning other than the literal one, but the Promised Messiah as reiterated that the word could not be confined to one meaning when Divine revelation had used it as a metaphor for various calamities. The greatness of this prophecy is that it foretells signs that would be impossible for any man to tell before the event. It also tells the time of the occurrence and high - lights the fact that it would be without parallel in history. 3. The very words used in the prophecy make it clear that it refers not to a literal earthquake but some other kind of calamity, because: i. The prophecy says that the calamity would envelop the whole world whereas earthquakes do not occur in the whole world at the same time. ii. The prophecy says the calamity will prove very hard on travellers who will lose their way and stray far from their routes. Earthquakes do not affect travellers in this way. They are more deadly for those living in houses and habi - tations. A calamity that creates problems for travellers can only be a war that stops them from crossing certain lines and their safety is not ensured. iii. The prophecy points out that the calamity would impact farms, fields, orchards, etc. These, again, are not impacted by earthquakes but by wars in the course of which they might suffer from shelling or be destroyed under a ‘scorched- earth’ policy. iv. The prophecy also says that the calamity would have harm - ful effects on birds who would forget to sing and lose their senses. This does not happen in an earthquake, but in a war,