Missing Link For Muslims

Every Eye Will See Him

Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him. 

- Hebrews 9: 28

Mainstream Muslim theology explains Christ will return to earth, coming down from heaven.

This is in agreement with what Scripture revealed prior to the 6th Century.

However, regarding what is believed and accepted as 'truth' about Christ going into heaven and later coming down, there is an important detail missing from this understanding.

The entire Gospel is based on the revelation of Messiah, not only as a Prophet, but as God's sacrifice for the sins of many.

The prior testament, the Old Testament, points towards Messiah many times and in many places.

The reality that Messiah was to be a sacrifice was clearly prophesied in the 8th century before Christ through Isaiah:

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 

He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. 

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. 

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. 

Like one from whom people hide their faces He was despised, and we held Him in low esteem. 

Surely He took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted. 

But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed. 

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; 

He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. 

By oppression and judgment He was taken away. 

Yet who of His generation protested? 

For He was cut off from the land of the living; 

for the transgression of My people He was punished. 

He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, though He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. 

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and though the Lord makes His life an offering for sin, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in His hand. 

After He has suffered, He will see the light of life and be satisfied; 

by His knowledge My righteous servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities. 

Therefore I will give Him a portion among the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. 

For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. 

- Isaiah 53

We see how God had purposed and willed for His Messiah to suffer, die, and then see the light of life afterwards: to be raised from dead.

What, then, is the relationship between Yeshua and the Father?

“I Am the good shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me—just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father—and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to My voice, and there shall be one flock and One Shepherd. The reason My Father loves Me is that I lay down My life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from My Father.” 

- John 10: 14-18

Yeshua had the choice to lay down His life.

Is Yeshua, then, a creation of God, or is Yeshua eternal?

“I and the Father are One.” 

Again His Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone Him, but Yeshua said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone Me?” 

“We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” 

- John 10: 30-33

It was clearly understood 'who' Yeshua was claiming to be: God.

Who, then, is Yeshua?

Who has Yeshua been the entire time (from eternity)?

While we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Yeshua Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good. 

- Titus 2: 13-14

Yeshua is our Lord, great God and Savior.