What if Jesus does not Come Back in 40 Years?
Today, most of the two billion Christians are celebrating Easter. I am happy for them. I am glad that this celebration reminds them, some how, of love of God and presence of sacred in our lives.
Easter is one of the most important religious holidays of the year for many Christians – a time to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, according to the Christian beliefs.
But, along with the resurrection is the concept of the second coming of Jesus, may peace be on him.
There are several verses in the New Testament about his second coming. There are also allusion to his second coming, within the first generation of the Christians, during the first century and these verses were interpreted as such, historically. No less authority, than Saint Paul himself, believed that Jesus will come back during the life time of the Christians that were alive. Here, just one reference of his second coming, in near future will suffice:
What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. 'Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.' (Matthew 16:26-28)
Numerous predictions of his urgent second coming have been made over the centuries, but, to no avail.
There have been billions of humans on our planet and not a single documented case of any one literally coming back, except in the stories, myths and legends of millennia passed.
Now half of the American Christians believe that Jesus would come back in person, within forty years.
According to a 2010 Pew Research Center survey, roughly half (48%) of Christians in the U.S. say they believe that Christ will definitely (27%) or probably (20%) return to earth in the next 40 years. Somewhat fewer (38%) say this definitely will not happen (10%) or probably will not happen (28%).
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community believes that Jesus will never come back literally. So, once 40 years of waiting from today have passed, I would expect that these 48% or their children will begin to pay greater attention to our theology and views about the second coming.
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community believes that Jesus has already come back. His second coming was not meant to be literal.
A literal second coming is against the laws of nature. But, God the Father has been sending prophets to guide humanity. The three Abrahamic faiths agree on a long line of Jewish prophets, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Joseph, David, Solomon, Jeremiah, Ezra and John the Baptist, to name some of them.
The Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani
The Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani
He came as a metaphorical second coming of Jesus, may peace be on him.
In Jesus own time the Jews were expecting a literal second coming of Elijah, but, Jesus himself denied any literal second coming and claimed that John the Baptist, born and raised in front of their very eyes, was indeed the Elijah:
Truly I tell you, … And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. Whoever has ears, let them hear. (Matthew 11:11-15)
There are other references in the New Testament also, quoting Jesus that John the Baptist is the Elijah.
There is never a literal second coming of the prophets of God, in Divine plan. Truly I tell you, Jesus, may peace be on him, was a noble Jewish prophet.
And if you are willing to accept it, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani, came in India 120 years ago, to unite all religions and mankind by emphasizing religious freedom for everyone and the fact that the founders of all religions, Confucius, Buddha, Tao, Krishna, Ram, Moses and Jesus were prophets of God.
He initiated renaissance of Islam in keeping with the prophecies of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him, and began to bring humanity together, according to the predictions not only in Islam, but also other religions.
He is the second coming of Jesus, may peace be on him. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
Additional readings
A collection of articles for the Christians, agnostics and atheists, in our website, Islam for the West.
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