Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 36
Khilafat Centenary _ _ Chris ti an problem: Muslims,Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, all behave in the same way. Indeed, it is for this reason that thousands of denominations emerge and establish themselves, beca u se the increasing distance from the original an d core teachings of a faith allows for the space and freedom to interpret these elements in different ways. And so faith erodes over time, and people grow indifferent to their religion. Against this background, it is clear that this sign has been fulfilled. The prophecy indicates that the Messiah would appear: A time would come when not h ing would be left of Islam except its name and nothing would be left of the Qur' an except its wo rd. The gospel would be preached in the whole world. (Matthew 24: 14) These are powerful predictions of the coming of Messiah, especially when considered together. The Gospel is clearly preached all over the world. Over the last century, the Bible has been translated into thousands of languages and has reached the people of the entire world. In this age, there are few who have no knowledge of the Biblical teachings. So by preaching the gospels in the whole world, in all nations, the prophecy of the coming of Christ has been fulfilled. Biblical Prophecies on the Timing of the Appearance of the Messiah Behold I am coming as a thief (Revelat i on 16: 15) Coming as a thief entails secrecy: when a thief enters, nobody is supposed to know. In the same way, therefore, the Messiah is prophesied to come unexpectedly, with people, as a result, rejecting him ignorantly. Only those few who would remain alert, and watch carefully, would recognize him through the various signs foretold. Christian Scholars calculated the time of the appearance of the Messiah on the basis of the guidelines given in the Bi ble. A majority of scholars agreed that the Messiah would appear towards the end of the 19th century. At the time, many books and articles were written and published on this subject, announcing that the appointed time had come. It was for this reason that many people laid claim to being the Messiah at the en d of the 19th century, including Pigott in England, who managed to gather thousands of people around him. Similarly in the United States, John Alexander Dowie, of Zion, claimed to be the Elijah of this age, citing the Biblical prophecies and the various signs that indicated the coming of the Messiah. But this was also the time about which the Gospel speaks in the words ofJesus Christ: Lo, here is Christ, or, Lo, he is there, believe him not Mark 13:21 This biblical reference highlights that at the appointed time for the coming of the Messiah, there would also be many false prophets laying claim to being the Messiah. Despite these appearances, the Bible had foretold that the Messiah would appear around this time. Indeed, scholars declared that on the basis of VlQF WISDOM 0 In 1290, according to the Hijrah calendar, ~ this humble one had been blessed with. . . . . the Divine revelation. 0. . . That was the time for the coming of the Messiah; if I had not appeared, someone > would have definitely appeared. ;;;;. Promised Messiah as Haqiqat-ul-wahi the Biblical evidence, by 1914, the time for the coming of the Messiah had expired. The basis for that assertion was a prediction by the Prophet Danielas: And from the time that the continual burnt-offering shall be taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there shall be a thousand and two hundred and ninety days. Dan i el 12: 11 Accordingly, this was exactly the time when the Promised Messiah as appeared on the scene. The 36 ' -