ARTICLE GUIDE
At a Glance
A comparative study of Christ’s return, cosmic judgment, and messianic authority, distinguishing shared expectations from divergent Christian and Islamic accounts.
What does the returning Messiah’s role imply about his identity?
The essay starts with Christian and Islamic expectations of Jesus’ return, then compares his office, authority, and eschatological tasks. It reads judgment and the Son of Man motif within the promise-plan, using Tanagho as a conversational catalyst and biblical texts as its canonical frame.
Key Claims
- Shared expectation of Jesus’ return does not eliminate differences over his identity and ultimate office.
- The essay argues that universal judgment carries implications for divine identity.
- Daniel’s cloud-riding Son of Man is read alongside Jesus’ trial testimony.
- Islamic traditions concerning the Dajjal and Jesus’ return are compared with biblical kingship.
- The Parousia is presented as the consummation of the promise-plan rather than an isolated rescue event.
Primary Textual Anchors
- John 5:22–27 — authority to judge.
- Matthew 25:31–46 — the Son of Man and universal judgment.
- Daniel 7:13–14; Mark 14:61–62 — cloud-riding and royal authority.
- Revelation 19:16; 1:17–18; 22:12–16 — returning king and living Lord.
- Qurʾān 43:61; Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2222 — comparative eschatological discussion.
- Romans 11:17–29 — Israel’s continuing covenantal significance.
Scripture Connections
John 5:22–27 — authority to judge. Matthew 25:31–46 — the Son of Man and universal judgment. Daniel 7:13–14; Mark 14:61–62 — cloud-riding and royal authority. Revelation 19:16; 1:17–18; 22:12–16 — returning king and living Lord. Qurʾān 43:61; Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2222 — comparative eschatological discussion. Romans 11:17–29 — Israel’s continuing covenantal significance.
Selected Scholarship
- Samy Tanagho — Glad News! God Loves You, My Muslim Friend! (2017).
- Walter C. Kaiser Jr. — The Promise-Plan of God (2008).
- Richard Bauckham — Jesus and the God of Israel (2008).
- Alan F. Segal — Two Powers in Heaven (1977).
Related Guides
- The Ascension of Jesus Christ in Christian–Muslim Polemics: Exegetical Foundations, Theological Models, and the Promise-Plan
- Resurrection Evidence, Covenantal Fulfillment, and the Islamic Dilemma: An Academic and Exegetical Evaluation of Christ’s Resurrection in Christian–Muslim Polemics
- The Incarnation Explained
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