The Second Coming - Jesus Christ and Sri Sathya Sai Baba

An artist's impression of the second coming of Jesus Christ

Christianity is a fascinating religion in many ways. One of the special things about Christianity is that a lot of it is derived through the writings of the apostles of Christ. The religion offers the aspirant different perspectives or views of the same master, Jesus Christ, through the eyes of many. Thus, we have the Gospel according to Mark, Gospel according to Matthew, Gospel according to John and so on. Each is the Truth in itself and we battling by quoting one against the other would be akin to blind men fighting over their respective descriptions of the elephant!

“Munde Munde Matir Bhinnah”, says my Master and Lord, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. In spirit, this translates into ‘there are as many interpretations of the Truth as there are heads’ because everyone is allowed an opinion. And so, when I read through the description and interpretation of the same master through ‘different heads’, rather than get confused and upset at things that do not match my perspective and opinions, I celebrate the grand diversity and beauty of the Master. The Master’s concern is always for the individual and therefore, there are as many ways to God as there are individuals. The Master allows the aspirant to seek a path most suited for him/her to progress spiritually. Thus, I try to enjoy the perspectives and interpretations for none of them are wrong - all are right in their own sense because, ultimately, there is only One Truth and nothing else.

Among the different things I was reading, one subject that interested me tremendously was that of the second coming of Christ. Why did that interest me? Simple. I would love it if God were to come on earth in physical frame once again! I have been blessed to have enjoyed the proximity of dear Swami and I know how wonderful, holy, elevating, uplifting, sanctifying and fun Divine company can be.

{By the way, my notion that the 24th April 2011 (Easter Sunday) is a day of Swami's‘departure’ was shattered through a miraculous experience that happened exactly a year later - on the 24th of April, 2012. Swami showed that it is a day to mark His ‘arrival’ into our homes and heart(h)s!}

You just have to search the term, “The Second Coming” on the internet and, in a span of seconds, you will see nearly a billion results hit your computer screen! That should suffice to say that it is an intensely debated and discussed topic. There are interpretations galore. So abundant were the interpretations offered that I decided to go to the actual Christian ‘Book of Revelation’, the final book of the New Testament, credited to the apostle, John. Again, there are so many versions and I referred to the King James’version of the Bible, chapter 19. What I found there simply thrilled my heart. The reference to the descent of the “King of Kings and the Lord of Lords” was so wonderful.

And here, I shall present these as stated in the Bible along with my interpretation and understanding. (The relevant passages from the Revelations have been presented in bold.)

19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba as the Second Coming - an impression
of the artist - Alexander Prowse. 

According to the Hindu concept of time and ages, God incarnates from age to age to establish righteousness on earth. In the present Kali age, the incarnation is that of Kalki, a Kshatriya riding a white horse. The similarity of the description struck me and I remembered that one of the photographs Swami materialized was of Himself riding a spotlessly white horse! Many artists and painters have depicted Him that way too! Also, "faithful and true" indeed seems like a translation of the word "Sathya".

Swami indeed is here, waging a war - a war like one that the world has never seen before. Just like a buffalo imagines God to be a large buffalo, we imagine war to be one with destruction and demolition. But Swami says that the weapon He has come armed with is that of Love. As He revealed during His Shivarathri 1955 discourse

“In this Avatar, the wicked will not be destroyed, they will be corrected, reformed and educated and led back to the path from which they have strayed. The white ant infested tree will not be cut: it will be saved.”


19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

One of my all time favourite pictures of my Swami, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. 

Anyone who has looked into His eyes has been warmed in the heart with the twinkle there. But still, anyone who has looked into His eyes has come to know of the fiery determination and fire that resides there! It is a ‘scientifically accepted fact’ that the physical characteristics of a person derive genetically from the family. But one close look at the beautiful mop of hair on Swami’s head, you will realize that none in the whole world has hair of that kind! Ah! What beautiful curls! A poet once described them as a million crowns.

Nobody had the slightest inkling of the name ‘Sai’ when the little boy Sathyanarayana announced himself as ‘Sai Baba’! The identity and name was revealed by Swami when his father, crazed by the miraculous powers of the boy, asked him at the point of a stick, “Tell me who you are?” The name was not given out in a matter of fact manner! The boy threw jasmine petals in the air and they fell on the ground, neatly forming the letters in Telugu, “SAI BABA”.

“What should we do then?” was the question of the stupefied father.

“Keep your houses clean. Worship me on Thursdays”, was the stunning answer!

19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Swami has worn different colored robes. But any time He wore something in yellow, white, pink or maroon, all of us have clapped and smiled in great joy for it would be an exceptional occasion. For the rest of the time, for daily use, it has been the ‘vesture dipped in blood’! And His name indeed is the ‘Word of God’ or ‘Truth’ (Sathya). A point must be made here that Sathya is not just any truth. The daily-use truth is called Nijam or 'fact'. For instance, Usain Bolt is the fastest man on earth is true only for a period of time. It wasn't true 50 years ago. It will not be true 50 years from now. Same is the case with the statement "Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world". It wasn't true 5000 years ago and it may not be true 5000 years hence. In Sanskrit, Sathya refers to that which is changeless in the three periods of time - Past, Present and Future - and it is only the Word of God that is thus changeless.

19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

Countless have been the times when Swami has said, “My students are my property.” These young boys and girls clad in white have often been looked up to for being messengers of Sathya Sai, the members of the Sai Army. (But who is a true Sai Student? That is subject of another article!) However, Swami Himself has cautioned us that "merely being a student of the Sri Sathya Sai university does not make one a Sai Student. A Sai-Student is one who follows the teachings of Sai. To follow the teachings one needs to have purity and should have mastered one's mind. The mind is represented by the horse and purity is represented by the colour white. No wonder, even the Bible made it clear that His armies would ride a "white horse" or would have mastered a pure mind!

Sri Sathya Sai Baba with the students at Kodaikanal (1988).

The jaw-dropping experience of Mr. James Sinclair

Mr. James D. Sinclair is a reputed businessman, who has made a very big mark for himself in the field of mineral prospecting.

"How is it possible", he used to wonder, "that I was born at this time and age?" As a Christian, it seemed so unfair that here he was in the 1950's and Jesus was on this planet two thousand years ago. He used to pray as he drove to New York City for business work: "I know you are out there, but I can't find you, dear Lord. Instead, You must find me!"

 In 1964, a few years after this prayer and a short while after his marriage, along with his wife, he accepted an invitation to stay at a friend's woodland cottage. As they were going to sleep, he saw an old man standing over his bed in the moonlight. Strangely, he didn't feel fear. Instead, his feeling was like one has while a mother is looking at her son. The old man then turned and walked across the room and through the wall! Just then, his wife said in a loud voice, "Jim, are you awake?" She screamed since she was watching the old man as he walked through the wall!

Pleasure and pain are an inseparable duo and Jim had his share of both. But he seemed to hit rock bottom when his health and business health deteriorated fast and he began to sell off his car and other assets to meet daily expenses. When it became too much to bear, he went to his desk in the cellar and prayed,
"I don't know who You are. I don't know where You are. I don't know what You are. But this I do know: You are! So, You have to take over, because I have made a mess of everything."
He resolved not to leave the cellar till the Divine literally took over, whatever that meant. All of a sudden, he looked to his right and saw what appeared to be a little royal child dressed in gold and jewels. The child had long hair, so he thought it must be a girl. Suddenly, all his fear was gone and he was totally at ease. He got up and went upstairs. The fun was about to begin!

James Sinclair with Bhagawan Baba. 

The next time he sat for meditation, he had a strange vision of "a little fellow in the flame wearing an orange robe with a great shock of black hair"! Then he would transcend thought. That night, he had an amazing dream too -  He was walking up a hill, led by three men in the darkness of night. One was an old man in white. One looked somewhat like Jesus Christ. The one in the middle had an orange robe. At that time, he didn't realize the triune of Shirdi Sai, Sathya Sai and Prema Sai.

But then, for fifteen years after that day, the same meditation experience and the same dream repeated themselves, day after day and night after night! In 1984, as he was walking from the lavatory in the night he got a feeling that someone was there. Lo and behold! Right behind him was Swami! Jim nearly jumped out of his skin but the being was gone as fast as he had come.

James Sinclair reveals his experiences in an
interview with Radiosai. 

It was only years later when He came to Swami that Swami told him how He had answered his prayers! James Sinclair was indeed blessed to find his Jesus, 2000 years after the Christ's physical departure and it was the Second Coming for him. Jim went on to play important roles in the Sai Mission after that.

On a concluding note, here is another lovely thought to mull upon. Christ has always been known as the 'Shepherd' and always carried a lamb. In fact, some versions of the story say that He pointed out to the lamb during His final few moments in the physical and said,

"He who has sent me shall come again."

It was during a discourse on Christmas in 1972 that Baba pointed out a very significant thing:

The statement of Christ is simple: “He who sent me among you will come again!" and he pointed to a Lamb. The Lamb is merely a symbol, a sign. It stands for the Voice---Ba-Ba; the announcement was the Advent of Baba.

Personally, am so thrilled to have witnessed the Second Coming...

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