Atonement which He would make for the redemption of mankind, there are very many prophecies in the Old Testament, among the principal of which are Isa. xlii. 1-9; lxi, 1-3 (compare Luke iv. 17-21); lii. 13-15 and liii; Ps. xxii. The time at which He should be put to death is clearly stated in the prophecy of Daniel (ch. ix. 24-26). For the decree of King Artaxerxes Longimanus (اردشيرِ درازدست ـ اردشير طويل الايادي) of Persia to restore and to build Jerusalem was promulgated in the seventh year of that king's reign (Ezra vii. 1, 7), that is to say, in 458 B.C. If from that date we reckon seventy weeks of years (Dan. ix. 24), or 490 years, we reach A.D. 32. In Dan. ix. 25 and 26 we are told that the Messiah would be cut off between 483 and 490 years from Artaxerxes' decree, that is between A.D. 25 and A.D. 32. This prophecy was fulfilled, for He was crucified between those dates, probably in A.D. 29 or 30. The predicted destruction of the Temple and of Jerusalem (Dan. ix. 26, 27) occurred about forty years later, in A.D. 70, when Titus, son of the Roman Emperor Vespasian, destroyed both city and Temple, as Josephus and other historians relate, in accordance with Christ's predictions (Matt. xxiv. 1-28; Mark xiii. 1-23; Luke xxi. 5-24). The "tribulation" of those days (Mark xiii. 24) has not yet come to an end, for the Jews are still scattered everywhere without a country, and our Muslim brethren know the tribulation which the Jews still endure not only throughout all the Muhammadan world, but also in such countries as Russia. Nor are the "times of the Gentiles" fulfilled as yet (Luke xxi. 24), since Gentiles still hold possession of Jerusalem.

There are in the books of the Prophets numerous passages which predict such matters as the Resurrection of Christ, His session on God's right hand, His Ascension into the Heavens. Such, for example, are Ps. xvi. 10 (compare Acts ii. 22-36); Ps. cx. 1; Dan. vii. 13, 14. That His Kingdom was to be established at the time when the "fourth kingdom" of Dan. vii. 23, i.e. the Roman Empire, still held sway is predicted in Dan. ii.

34, 35, 44, 45; vii. 7, 9, 13, 14, 23, 27. The four Kingdoms or Empires were the Babylonian, the Persian, the Macedonian, and the Roman (Dan. ii. 37-45; viii. 20, 21)

When the Lord Jesus Christ was about thirty years of age (Luke iii. 23), He began to proclaim the Good News (البِشارة ـ مُزدة), as the Gospels (الاناجيل) inform us. He went about doing good: He wrought many miracles, healed the sick, cast out devils, opened the eyes of the blind, the ears of the deaf, cleansed lepers, and enabled the lame to walk, in accordance with the predictions of the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah (Isa xxxii. 1-5; xxxv. 3-6; xlii. 1-7; lxi. 1, 2: compare Matt. xi. 4, 5; xii. 17-21; xxi.^l 14). Yet, though He possessed and exercised such great power, He never wrought a miracle for His own advantage, or to punish His enemies. He lived in poverty and lowliness (Matt. viii. 20), and did not seek any earthly honour and glory. He refused to let people make Him an earthly monarch (John vi. 15). And so blameless were His actions, so evident to all men was the holiness of His life and conduct, that He could say to His adversaries, "Which of you convicteth Me of sin?" (John viii. 46). Thus were the prophecies regarding His first Advent and His conduct accomplished.

The Lord Jesus Christ chose out twelve Apostles from among the Israelites, and trained them, teaching them the truth which He wished them to teach others. The doctrine upon which all else was based was that of His Divine Sonship, and He declared that on this doctrine as on a rock He would build His Church (Matt. xvi. 13-18).

When His Apostles had thus learnt that He was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament, the Lord Jesus began to teach them the next great lesson, i.e. that He must be crucified and rise again for the salvation of mankind (Matt. xvi. 21; Mark viii. 31; Luke