Surah Al-Zukhruf (43:61) declares Jesus (PBUH) to be a sign of the Day of Judgment. It reads: Wa innahu la’ilmun lissā’ati (Certainly, he is a great proof of the Day of Judgement). When something is termed as a sign of the Day of Judgment, it is obviously related to the time close to the Day of Judgment. Various signs of the Day of Judgment are mentioned in hadith works, among which the second coming of Jesus is counted as a sign of the Hereafter. Therefore, scholars argue that this verse declares Jesus as a sign of the Day of Judgment in that he will descend from the heavens [near the Hour]. Therefore, this verse supports and corroborates the descent of Jesus as mentioned in the hadiths. The verse, and its textual context is as follows:
وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلًا اِذَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْهُ يَصِدُّوْنَ . وَقَالُوْ٘ا ءَاٰلِهَتُنَا خَيْرٌ اَمْ هُوَ مَا ضَرَبُوْهُ لَكَ اِلَّا جَدَلًاﵧ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُوْنَ . اِنْ هُوَ اِلَّا عَبْدٌ اَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلْنٰهُ مَثَلًا لِّبَنِيْ٘ اِسْرَآءِيْلَ . وَلَوْ نَشَآءُ لَجَعَلْنَا مِنْكُمْ مَّلٰٓئِكَةً فِي الْاَرْضِ يَخْلُفُوْنَ . وَاِنَّهٗ لَعِلْمٌ لِّلسَّاعَةِ فَلَا تَمْتَرُنَّ بِهَا وَاتَّبِعُوْنِ\ هٰذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيْمٌ . وَلَا يَصُدَّنَّكُمُ الشَّيْطٰنُ اِنَّهٗ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِيْنٌ.
No sooner the example of the son of Mary was mentioned than, lo and behold, your people raised a clamor and said: “Who is better, our deities or he?” They said so only out of contentiousness. They are a disputatious people. He was no more than a servant (of Ours), one upon whom We bestowed Our favors and whom We made an example (of Our infinite power) for the Israelites. If We had so willed, We could have made some of you into angels to become your successors on earth. Verily he [i.e., Jesus) is a portent of the Hour. So be in no doubt concerning it and follow Me. This is the Straight Way. Let not Satan hinder you (from believing in the Hour), for surely he is your open enemy. (43:57-62)
Most commentators(exegetes) also hold this view. In the exegesis of Ibn Kathīr, it is stated:
That is, Jesus is a sign of the Day of Judgment as it is he who is being discussed in the preceding verses. It should be clear that the reference here is to Jesus’s descent before the Day of Judgment, as Allah Almighty has said: ‘Wa in min ahli al-kitābi illā layu’minanna bihī qabla mawtihī’ meaning ‘every person of the Book will believe in him before his death’ that is, the death of Jesus. Then on the Day of Judgment, he will bear witness over them. This meaning is fully clarified by the other reading of this verse, which reads as follows: is ‘انه لعلم للساعة’ ‘Innahu la‘ilmun lis-sā‘ah,’ meaning the Spirit (ruh) of God, [Jesus] is a sign and mark of the coming of the Day of Judgment. Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) says: Jesus is a sign of the Day of Judgment, meaning, his second coming before the Day of Judgment is a sign. This is the interpretation reported from Abu Huraira and Ibn Abbas, as well as from Abu Al-Aaliyah, Abu Malik, Ikrimah, Hasan, Qatadah, Dahhak, and others. And the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has informed in mutawatir hadiths that Jesus will descend before the Day of Judgment as a just leader and a fair judge. So, be certain of the occurrence of the Day of Judgment and do not fall in any doubt about it. (Tafsir Ibn Kathīr 4 / 631, Translation: Maulana Muhammad Junagadhi)
Maulana Muhammad Malik Kandhlawi writes:
The majority of commentators hold that the pronoun ‘hi’ in ‘wa innahu’ refers to Jesus, meaning that Jesus, son of Mary, is indeed a sign for the Day of Judgment. This refers to his descent from heaven and his coming to the earth, making his arrival one of the significant signs of the Day of Judgment.[38] (Maāriful Qur’an 7/307)