Jesus Christ as Kalki

There was something interesting while browsing a Hindu board that came up:

"I have been wondering something for quite some time. The "kalki avatar" is supposed to come at the end of this age to restore peace to the world. He is seen riding a white horse and having a blazing sword in his hand. In the bible, in the book of Revelation - chapter 19 I believe, Jesus Christ is also seen riding a white horse and having a sharp sword. So my question is will Jesus Christ be the anticipated "kalki avatar?"

"If yes, I see a big problem. If Jesus Christ is "kalki" then only Christians can go to heaven and be saved from hell-fire. What will happen to all the non-christians such as Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, etc. Will they be condemned to hell for eternity because they did not believe Jesus was the Son of God and died for their sins? Then God would not be fair right? What do y'all think?"

Christ as Kalki?  The parallel has been explored before.  Kalki is a Messianic Figure in Hinduism.  Kalki is an avatar or incarnation of Vishnu that is supposed to come at the end of the Kali Yuga and wipe out the evil that is on the face of the Earth.  Jesus Christ as the Messiah is what Christians know and believe, and Messianic Jews (a faction in Judaism that has been gaining a lot of attention and is growing) have come to realize.

There are some striking parallels between Kalki and the Messiah.  For instance:
* Both would be preceded and accompanied by Fire.
* Both used the White Horse symbolism.
* Both will defeat Evil.
* One of the preceeding signs is great wickedness.

All of the Signs preceeding the Second Coming are these:

Spirit to be poured out on all flesh (*) Discovery and use of printing (*) Protestant reformation and age of renaissance (*) Discovery and colonization of America (*) Establishment of the American nation (*) Translation and printing of the Bible (*) Establishment of U.S. Constitution (*) Latter-day revelation (*) Coming forth of the Book of Mormon (*) Opposition to the Book of Mormon (*) Restoration of keys and priesthood (*) Restoration of the gospel (*) Messenger to precede second coming Church and kingdom set up again (*) Growth of the church (*) Gathering of Israel (*)

Ten tribes to return (*) Times of Gentiles being fulfilled (*) Return of Tribe of Judah to Jerusalem (*) Beginning of the construction of the Temple of the New Jerusalem in Independence, Missouri Jews to begin to believe in Christ (*) Building of latter-day temples (*) Lord to come suddenly to temple (*) Spirit of Elijah and genealogical research (*) Persecution of the saints (*) Persecution of the Jews (*) True gospel to be preached to all the world (*) Worldly knowledge to increase (*) Scientific and inventive progress (*) Disease, plague, pestilence to sweep earth (*) Elements in commotion (*) Disasters and calamities to abound (*) Strikes, anarchy, violence to increase (*)

Latter-day wickedness (*) Holy Spirit ceasing to strive with wicked Peace taken from earth (*) Angels now reaping the earth Wars and rumors of wars (*) Famines, depressions, and economic turmoil (*) Apostate darkness covers earth (*) Many false churches (*) Refusal of men to believe signs of times (*) Signs on earth and heavens (*) Lamanites to blossom as the rose (*) The gathering at Adam-ondi-Ahman Final great war Sorrow and fear (*) Fall of the great and abominable church Special mission in Jerusalem of two latter-day prophets

As for Kalki:

I can't find any right now. :(

But to answer the question of the Hindu who asked.  Christ will save the more righteous of the people.  This means all people: Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Muslim, Christian, Pagan, Wiccan, Shinto -- all who are righteous and follow the Spirit or the teachings of their good and just ministers of their faith, will be saved. :)

So there is no need to worry.

Confessions of an LDS Free-thinker (3)

This is the third of my confessions. I think. Lately, one of the things I have been wrestling with is the meaning of the words sustain and emulate. This is simply because my Bishop of my Church congregation (called a ward) has been giving me some grief over what sustain and emulate actually mean. As a free thinker, I'm an agent unto myself and I am capable of creating as God does. Same as any other human on the planet.

However, in my quest to learn more, I am frustrated by my Bishop's understanding of what it means to support the Leaders of the Church. I support the leaders of the Church, I really do, but as far I understand things, my support can go only so far as sustain is defined. However, my bishop is only interested in "sustaining" the Leaders as so far as emulating them as examples of how we aught to live our lives. And this gives me a headache since I do not believe in blind obedience.

sustain

Transitive Verb.
Pronunciation: \sə-ˈstān\

Function: transitive verb

Etymology:

Middle English sustenen, from Anglo-French sustein-, stem of sustenir, from Latin sustinēre to hold up, sustain, from sub-, sus- up + tenēre to hold — more at sub-, thin

Date:

13th century

1: to give support or relief to
2: to supply with sustenance : nourish
3: keep up, prolong
4: to support the weight of : prop; also : to carry or withstand (a weight or pressure)
5: to buoy up <sustained by hope>
6 a: to bear up under b: suffer, undergo <sustained heavy losses>
7 a: to support as true, legal, or just b: to allow or admit as valid sustained the motion>
8: to support by adequate proof : confirm sustains our contention>

Now, emulate.

emulate

Pronunciation:

\ˈem-yə-ˌlāt, -yü-\

Function:

transitive verb

Inflected Form(s):

em·u·lat·ed; em·u·lat·ing

Etymology:

Latin aemulatus, past participle of aemulari, from aemulus rivaling

Date:

1582

1 a: to strive to equal or excel b: imitate; especially : to imitate by means of an emulator
2: to equal or approach equality with

So, are we supposed to bear up our leaders, to buoy them up, and to support them as legal and just? Or are we suposed to imitate them? Really, I have no idea at what my bishop is trying to get at. If it is the former, I do that wholeheartedly. The latter, I'm not to sure about. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are taught that Jesus' life is our example, and that Jesus is our exemplar. Jesus is the Master of all the masters; His teachings supercede Buddha's, Lao Tzu's, Confucius', Moses', and Joseph Smith's. These other masters all complement their Master in their teachings on how a person can reach his or her fullest potential. So, why is emulating President Hinckley more important than living the Life of Jesus? I have no idea; but I'm beginning to feel that I'm being pulled this way and that way with my relationship to my bishop.