1. The Messiah and Savior Promised by All Religions
World Scripture
Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”
Jeremiah 23.5-6
“Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Revelation 22.20
In those days, brethren, there will arise in the world an Exalted One named Metteya [Maitreya]. He will be an Arahant, Fully Awakened, abounding in wisdom and goodness, happy, with knowledge of the worlds, unsurpassed as a guide to mortals willing to be led, a teacher for gods and men, an Exalted One, a Buddha, even as I am now. He, by himself, will thoroughly know and see, as it were face to face, this universe, with its worlds of the spirits, its Brahmas and its Maras, and its world of recluses and brahmins, of princes and peoples, even as I now, by myself, thoroughly know and see them. The Law, lovely in its origin, lovely in its progress, lovely in its consummation, will he proclaim, both in the spirit and in the letter; the higher life will he make known, in all its fullness and in all its purity, even as I do now. He will be accompanied by a congregation of some thousands of brethren, even as I am now accompanied by a congregation of some hundreds of brethren.15
Digha Nikaya 3.76 (Buddhism)
What will be your state when the Son of Mary descends amongst you, and there will be an Imam amongst you? What would you do when the son of Mary would descend and lead you?16
Hadith of Muslim (Islam)
The Imam [Mahdi] who will create a world state will make the ruling nations pay for their crimes against society. He will bring succor to humanity. He will take out the hidden wealth from the breast of the earth and will distribute it equitably amongst the needy deserving. He will teach you simple living and high thinking. He will make you understand that virtue is a state of character which is always a mean between the two extremes, and which is based upon equity and justice. He will revive the teaching of the Holy Qur’an and the traditions of the Holy Prophet after the world has ignored them as dead letters…
He will protect and defend himself with resources of science and supreme knowledge. His control over these resources will be complete.
He will know how supreme they are and how carefully they will have to be used. His mind will be free from desires of bringing harm and injury to humanity. Such knowledge to him will be like the property which was wrongly possessed by others and for which he was waiting for the permission to repossess and use.
He, in the beginning, will be like a poor stranger unknown and uncared for, and Islam then will be in the hopeless and helpless plight of an exhausted camel who has laid down its head and is wagging its tail. With such a start he will establish an empire of God in this world.
He will be the final demonstration and proof of God’s merciful wish to acquaint man with the right ways of life.
Nahjul Balagha, Khutba 141, 187 (Shiite Islam)
When the practices taught by the Vedas and the institutes of law shall nearly have ceased, and the close of the Kali age shall be nigh, a portion of that divine being who exists of His own spiritual nature in the character of Brahma, and who is the beginning and the end, and who comprehends all things, shall descend upon the earth. He will be born as Kalki in the family of an eminent brahmin of Sambhala village, endowed with the eight superhuman faculties.
By his irresistible might he will destroy all the barbarians and thieves, and all whose minds are devoted to iniquity. He will then reestablish righteousness upon earth; and the minds of those who live at the end of the Kali age shall be awakened, and shall be as pellucid as crystal. The men who are thus changed by virtue of that peculiar time shall be as the seeds of human beings, and shall give birth to a race that shall follow the laws of the Krita Age, the Age of Purity.
Vishnu Purana 4.24 (Hinduism)
He shall be called the victorious Benefactor (Saoshyant) and World-renovator (Astavatereta).
He is the Benefactor because he will benefit the entire physical world; he is the World-renovator because he will establish the physical living existence indestructible. He will oppose the evil of the progeny of the biped and withstand the enmity produced by the faithful.
Avesta, Farvardin Yast 13.129 (Zoroastrianism)
It is only the man with the most perfect divine moral nature who is able to combine in himself quickness of apprehension, intelligence and understanding—qualities necessary for the exercise of command, magnanimity, generosity, benignity, and gentleness—qualities necessary for the exercise of patience, originality, energy, strength of character, and determination—qualities necessary for the exercise of endurance, piety, noble seriousness, order, and regularity—qualities necessary for the exercise of dignity, grace, method, subtlety, and penetration—qualities necessary for the exercise of critical judgment.
Thus all-embracing and vast is the nature of such a man. Profound it is and inexhaustible, like a living spring of water, ever running out with life and vitality. All-embracing and vast, it is like Heaven. Profound and inexhaustible, it is like the abyss.
As soon as such a man shall make his appearance in the world, all people will reverence him. Whatever he says, all people will believe it. Whatever he does, all people will be pleased with it. Thus his fame and name will spread and fill all the civilized world, extending even to savage countries, wherever ships and carriages reach, wherever the labor and enterprise of man penetrate, wherever the heavens overshadow and the earth sustain, wherever the sun and moon shine, wherever frost and dew fall. All who have life and breath will honor and love him. Therefore we may say, “He is the equal of God.” It is only he in this world, who has realized his absolute self, that can order and adjust the great relations of human society, fix the fundamental principles of morality, and understand the laws of growth and reproduction of the universe.17
Doctrine of the Mean 31-32 (Confucianism)
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Today the Jewish people long to see the Messiah and Christians also long to see the Messiah. They both wish for the Messiah. Will the Messiah of the Jews and the Messiah of the Christians be two different people? Will there be two different messiahs?
No, there will be only one Messiah. Why? Because God’s Will is one. Defeating Satan and fulfilling God’s Will have to be done by one person. Hence, there can be only one Messiah.
(73:206, September 18, 1974)
Christianity looks forward to the return of Christ; Buddhism hopes for the return of Buddha as the Maitreya, while Confucianism predicts the appearance of the True Man. Each religion describes in its way the return of the Lord.
When he comes, he will not simply restate the words of the Bible or repeat the words of an already established faith. The returning Lord awaited by these religions will come with a new truth of higher content.
(7:198, September 6, 1959)
In God’s sight, the world is one, only one. Therefore, the time will come when God will establish one prophet for the entire world. He could be an Asian; he could be a Westerner; he could be an African; he could be anyone. Whoever he is, this prophet will have a worldwide responsibility. Through his leadership, the diverse religions of humankind will converge… eventually forming one world religion. The four major religions existing today will unite in one line, once they have ceased emphasizing the discordant elements that have kept them apart.
This will require the efforts of a central figure to pave the path for their unification, from bottom to top, and save all people on the planet Earth. God recognizes that person as the Messiah; therefore, we on earth proclaim that he is the Messiah. He comes as a universal religious leader, bringing a teaching that connects with the teachings of all religions.
The Messiah comes with a clear mission: to complete God’s Will by fulfilling the purpose for which God created humankind. The failure of Adam and Eve broke this purpose, preventing God from establishing His Kingdom in the beginning. Therefore, the Messiah comes with the mission to attain the perfection that Adam did not attain and to complete the Will of God that Adam did not complete. Thus, the Messiah comes to consummate the Will of God on earth.
(91:276, February 27, 1977)
- 1. The Messiah and Savior Promised by All Religions
- 2. The Mission of the Messiah— to Vanquish Evil and Establish God’s Kingdom
- 3. The Mission of the Messiah—To Restore True Human Beings and True Families
- 4. The Messiah’s Suffering Course
- 5. The Messiah Establishes Peace in the Middle East for Jews, Christians and Muslims
- 6. Prophecies of the Messiah’s Advent in the East