Ahmadinejad hails imminent arrival of ‘Ultimate Savior, Jesus Christ’
If Christians only read the headline, they will get the wrong impression. Deliberate? Probably. The above is the headline on the story that ran in today’s online Al Arabiya news. But no, Iran’s Prime Minister, Ahmadinejad, has not converted to Christianity, nor is he even acknowledging that Jesus is the “Ultimate Savior,” as the headline writer makes it appear.
Instead, in Ahmadinejad’s view, Jesus is only a helper to the ultimate savior, the twelfth imam. Here is the pertinent context:
Ahmadinejad said the savior is “a man who loves people and loves absolute justice, a man who is a perfect human being and is named Imam al-Mahdi, a man who will come in the company of Jesus Christ and the righteous.” …
“The arrival of the Ultimate Savior, Jesus Christ and the Righteous will bring about an eternally bright future for mankind, not by force or waging wars but through thought-awakening and developing kindness in everyone.”
The reader should understand it thus: The arrival of the Ultimate Savior (the Imam al-Mahdi), along with Jesus Christ and the Righteous others will bring about…
So, no, you really did not expect all the world to be holding hands and singing Kum-ba-ya just yet, did you?