102 THE KEY OF MYSTERIES

dignity and greatness and to the true nature of the promised Saviour of the world. This, we shall see, they have done; for, as St. Peter says: 'To 1 him bear all the prophets witness, that through his name every one that believeth on him shall receive remission of sins.' Man's history after Adam's fall begins with a promise of the coming of the Messiah, 2 and the last verses of the Old Testament speak of the same subject. 3 We cannot, of course, deal at any length here with messianic prophecies, but there are just a few of them to which it is important to call attention at the beginning of this section, before enquiring what the prophets say regarding the Deity of the promised Messiah.

Moses tells the people of the coming of the Messiah as a great Prophet, and in God's name warns them against refusing to obey Him. 'And 4 the LORD said unto me, . . . I will raise them up a prophet from among their 5 brethren, like unto thee, and I will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require 6 it of him.'


1 Acts x. 43. 2 Gen. iii. 15.
3 Mal. iv. 2, 5-6. 4 Deut. xviii. 18-19.
5 For a refutation of the Muhammadan explanation of this verse, see revised edition of Mizanu'l-Haqq, pt. iii, ch. ii, § 2.
6 Cf. Acts iii. 22-3.
PROOF OF THE DEITY OF CHRIST 103

In the book of the prophet Isaiah, God speaks of the nature of the work which the promised Messiah was to do: 'Behold 1 my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench; he shall bring forth judgement in truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgement in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his law. Thus saith God, the LORD, he that created the heavens and stretched them forth; he that spread abroad the earth and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein; I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am the LORD; that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images.' Again the promised Messiah is represented as saying: 'The 2 spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the


1 Isa. xlii. 1-8; cf. Matt. xii. 17-21.
1 Isa. lxi. 1-2 ; cf. Luke iv. 16-21.