WHEN WILL ELIJAH COME AGAIN?
Malachi 4:5-6
Matthew 11:11-13
Matthew 17:10-13
Malachi 4:5-6
• 5 “See, I will send you the prophet
Elijah before that great and dreadful
day of the LORD comes. 6 He will turn
the hearts of the fathers to their
children, and the hearts of the
children to their fathers; or else I
will come and strike the land with a
curse.”
Matthew 11:11-14
•
11 I
tell you the truth: Among those born of
women there has not risen anyone greater
than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the
kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From
the days of John the Baptist until now, the
kingdom of heaven has been forcefully
advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. 13
For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied
until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept
it, he is the Elijah who was to come.
Matthew 17:10-13
•
10 The
disciples asked him, “Why then do the
teachers of the law say that Elijah must
come first?”
• 11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes
and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you,
Elijah has already come, and they did not
recognize him, but have done to him
everything they wished. In the same way
the Son of Man is going to suffer at their
hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood
that he was talking to them about John the
Baptist.
Interest in end time prophecy cycles
generationally
• There are amazing
developments.
• The rebuilding of
the Temple seems
to be critical .
• But what about
the return of
Elijah?
Has Elijah returned? Or is He yet to come?
• Jesus said that if we
would accept it, John was
the Elijah who was to
come.
• He also said, To be sure,
Elijah comes and will
restore all things.
• But through Malachi God
said, “See, I will send you
the prophet Elijah before
that great and dreadful
day of the LORD comes.
THE PROPHETIC WORDS OF MALACHI
"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before
that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes.
He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their
children, and the hearts of the children to their
fathers: or else I will come and strike the land
with a curse." --Mal 4:5-6
The Long View of God’s Grace
• The prophet Malachi lived 500 years after
Elijah
• Clearly he is speaking of a 2nd coming of Elijah
at a future time.
• 400 years later, after a long silence from a
divine voice, John the Baptist and Jesus
appear.
• Might this be a two step fulfillment?
Elijah did come in the person of John
"For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until
John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah
who was to come." -- Mat 11:13-14
• This is a clear statement that John the Baptist was
the promised Elijah. The angel fortold…
– And he will go on before the Lord,
– In the Spirit and power of Elijah
– To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and
the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous
– To make ready a people prepared for the Lord. -Lk 1:17
• Between the two discussions about John being
Elijah, John the Baptist was beheaded.
– Did John fully accomplish the prophecy?
THE RABBINIC TRADITION
The disciples asked, “Why then do the
teachers of the law say that Elijah
must come first?” -- Mt 17:
Bit by bit the expectation of the
coming of Elijah gathered detail
• Elijah would restore all things before the Messiah came
• Elijah would come to make the world fit for the Messiah.
–
–
–
–
Destroying evil.
Setting things right.
mending the family breaches of the grim last days.
Settling all disputes about ritual and ceremony.
• He would come three days before the Messiah.
– On the FIRST day he would stand on the mountains of Israel,
lamenting the desolation of the land and cry, "Peace cometh
to the world."
– On the SECOND day he would cry, "Good cometh to the
world."
– On the THIRD day he would cry, "Jeshuah (salvation) cometh
to the world."
His coming was to be a "blast of
cleansing” and of “avenging fire.”
• An eruption of God
into time and a
shattering victory for
heaven
–For the LORD your
God is a consuming
fire... -- Dt 4:24
THE CORRECTIVE VIEW JESUS GIVES
"For all the Prophets and the Law
prophesied until John. And if you are
willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who
was to come." -- Mat 11:13-14
• Jesus was trying to get His disciples to
see that the heralds (prophets) had
been cruelly killed and silenced.
–The heart of man is wicked
• That Messiah's mission must end with
a Cross and subsequent Resurrection.
–The Love and Grace of God are steadfast
Elijah has come; but his was the way of
suffering and sacrifice.
• Jesus was laying down an axiom: God's way,
– Never blasts men out of existence.
– But always woos them through sacrificial love.
• Until they learned this truth they must remain silent
about the transfiguration.
– If they went out proclaiming a conquering Messiah there
would be tragedy.
• God will never impose His will upon men by force.
• Love cannot be produced by coercion.
– They had to learn that the Messiah was a Suffering Savior.
• Selfless love lays down its life for its friends.
• Jesus is the supreme lover. That's why He is the Messiah.
So what?
What difference does it make
whether Elijah has come or is yet to
come?
We are not so concerned with the
coming of Elijah,
We want God to come
with power, save us and
change things.
Instead He comes in love, taking upon
himself our stripes and bearing our
burdens.
He offers to live with us
and help us become
Christlike.
Elijah has come, but not to thunder
fire and destruction upon us.
• He comes to again
say "My God Is
Jehovah".
–He is enough
–He is Salvation