Messiah Descends From Heaven With Clouds

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدي يا رسول الله

وعلى آلك واصحابك يا سيدي يا نور الله

فداك ابي وامي يا رسول الله

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

In the previous post I presented quotations from the Great Imam Abu Hanifah and also Imam Abu Ja’far al-Tahawi establishing the orthodox Sunni Islamic creed that the Messiah Jesus will descend from Heaven.

This belief is Scriptural, being established from the Bible and also the Hadith; the most holy Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said:

كَيْفَ أَنْتُمْ إِذَا نَزَلَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ ‌مِنَ ‌السَّمَاءِ فِيكُمْ وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ

How are you when the Son of Mary descends from the sky among you and your Imam is from you? (al-Asma wal-Siffat lil-Baihaqi; v.2, p.331, #895)

Some misguided individuals and groups, who strangely profess Islam, altogether deny the doctrine of the Second Coming of the Messiah, despite the fact that this belief is established through Mutawatir al-Ma’nawi (mass-transmitted in meaning) from the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his Companions. Others are more deceptive in claiming to accept the prophecy of the Second Coming of the Messiah but denying that it means the Messiah Jesus will come in person, or that he will literally descend from Heaven. Interestingly, the Messiah Jesus himself anticipated such a deviation from the truth when he said: “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:23-27)

The simile of a lightning flash in the east being visible in the west indicates that the coming of the Messiah shall be an incredible Sign which none but those who are blind could possibly deny. As for the false Messiahs and false Prophets claiming to fulfil the Second Coming of Jesus they do not appear from the clouds but it is said about them that they are in the desert or sitting in some closed room somewhere, and this is true of every false Messiah, like Mirza of Qadian, who appeared since the time of Jesus. I believe the following narration best describes the reality of how Jesus will descend from Heaven in the clouds and reappear among the people:

فَبَيْنَا هُمْ تَحْتَ ضَبَابَةٍ مِنْ غَمَامٍ ‌إِذْ ‌تُكْشَفُ عَنْهُمُ الضَّبَابَةُ مَعَ الصُّبْحِ فَإِذَا بِعِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ بَيْنَ ظَهْرَانَيْهِمْ

While they are under the mist of a cloud, suddenly the mist will be rolled away for them by the morning, and Jesus son of Mary will be in their midst (al-Fitan li-Nu’aym bin Hammad; p.388)

And this is confirmed in the Gospels: “and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27), “Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62), “Behold, he cometh with clouds” (Revelation 1:7).