With Love to the Muslims of the World — Page 25
25 T HE T HREE M AIN T ASKS OF THE P ROMISED M ESSIAH Another illustration would further clarify the case in point. In numerous Traditions of the Holy Prophet sa , it is men- tioned that the second coming of Jesus Christ as would take place for three main reasons: Breaking of the Cross Extermination of swine (domestic and wild boars, etc. ) Annihilation of the Antichrist. B REAKING OF THE C ROSS According to the Ahmadiyya understanding, the breaking of the Cross does not mean the literal breaking of crosses made of wood or metals but it refers to such powerful arguments as would break the backbone of the faith of the Cross. The non-Ahmad i scholars suggest that Jesus would liter- ally perform this act of breaking all crosses: So he would roam the earth far and wide and would not rest until the material figures of the cross are physically broken in the whole wide world. T HE K ILLING OF THE S WINE The same difference of interpretation applies to other prophetic functions of Jesus Christ as. Ahmad i s interpret the word ‘swine’ as a symbol of uncouth and impure conduct. By the slaughtering of the swine, they mean the purification of the corrupt and their moral reformation. The opposite school of thought would not let Jesus come to rest after his long awaited descent from heaven until (after finishing the task of Breaking the Cross!), he has