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Why Must Elijah Appear?

Israel’s religious leader talked openly and frequently about the coming of Elijah, although verifying Elijah’s identity was always the subject of many discussions. For example, they wondered how they would distinguish someone who may be masquerading as Elijah from the true Elijah, especially if the false Elijah performed miracles? Would Elijah come down from Heaven in a fiery chariot? Would Elijah appear in the body of a human being? If Elijah came as an ordinary man, how could they positively identify him?

After Peter, James and John had seen Jesus on the Mount of transfiguration, they had positive proof that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. They were anxious to share what they had seen, but Jesus forbade them to reveal this information until after His resurrection. He knew these claims from His disciples would limit His effectiveness among the Jews. (Matthew 17:9) But, the transfiguration of Jesus did raise a prophetic issue.  The disciples wondered why Elijah had not appeared, since this is what Malachi predicted. The disciples knew that John the Baptist was not Elijah. John had clearly denied he was Elijah. Trying to reconcile the transfiguration experience of Jesus with the prophecy of Malachi, they asked the Master, “…’Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?’ Jesus replied, ‘To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 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.’ Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.” (Matthew 17:10-12)

These verses contain more substance than most people realize. First, Jesus affirms the validity of Malachi’s prophecy saying, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.” Then Jesus said, “Elijah has already come and they did not recognize him.” Even though the disciples understood that Jesus was speaking about John the Baptist, they were still puzzled. They had just seen Moses and Elijah, yet Jesus was saying that John the Baptist was Elijah. Here is the problem:

If You Are Willing to Accept It….

A few months before the transfiguration of Jesus occurred, King Herod had arrested and imprisoned John the Baptist because John had offended him. The arrogant king had taken his brother’s wife, Herodias, to be his own and John the Baptist told Herod that he committed a grievous sin. Of course, Herod did not want to hear the truth and Herodias was shamed. Herod was so furious with John that he wanted John killed. However, Herod was not stupid. He knew that people regarded John as a prophet and Herod did not want to jeopardize his position as king by starting another Jewish uprising that might reach the ears of Caesar.

So, Herod did the next best thing and put John in prison. From the silence of his cell, John began to reflect on his life’s mission, his teachings and beliefs. Yes, Jesus had appeared right on time and Jesus had begun His ministry just as John had predicted. Yet, he could not understand why Jesus had not declared Himself to be the Messiah, nor had He done anything to establish the kingdom of God! In the darkness of that prison cell, it did not seem to John like the events were unfolding as the Scriptures predicted. Lonely, cold and troubled, John began to question some of his beliefs and his ministry. When some of his disciples came to visit, he asked them to ask Jesus a pointed question.

“When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?’ Jesus replied, ‘Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, and deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.’ (Matthew 11:2-6) Jesus answered John’s question with veiled language. He knew John was a keen student of the Scriptures, and so Jesus answered John’s disciples with words from Isaiah 61. He also knew that His affirming response would give John the assurance he needed to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Other people who were present had no idea that Jesus response was affirming that He was the Messiah. Jesus knew it was not time to make this public disclosure. In fact, it was Jesus’ desire to keep this fact hidden until He was resurrected, knowing that premature promotion of His identity would thwart His mission. (Matthew 17:9)

“As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: ‘What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in king’s palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.  This is the one about whom it is written: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your ways before you.” 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. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. For all the Prophets and the Law [the Scriptures] prophesied until [about the appearing of] John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.’” (Matthew 11:7-14, insertions and italics mine)

In response to John’s request, Jesus quoted Malachi 3:1. In this passage, it indicates that god would send a messenger to announce the appearing of Messiah, and Jesus was assuring John the Baptist that he was that messenger. Jesus clearly told the crowd that John was “the Elijah to come.” However, Jesus phrased His declaration in an interesting way, “If you are willing to accept it…” Why did Jesus say it this way? Jesus had been on Earth long enough to know that “the great day of the Lord” mentioned in Malachi 4 was not going to happen during His lifetime on Earth. In fact, Jesus knew that establishing His kingdom on Earth would not be possible. Said another way, Jesus was saying to His disciples, if you can accept this by faith, John the Baptist would have been the fulfillment of Malachi 4:5,6 if the nation of Israel had been faithful to the terms and conditions set forth in Daniel 9!

“Plan A” – “Plan B”

The fulfillment of Malachi 4:5,6 is inseparably connected to “the great day of the Lord.” Since “the great day of the Lord” has not happened, some people believe Malachi 4:5,6 still awaits fulfillment. I do not believe this is the case. If you can accept the following two statements, there is a simple explanation for the prophecy of Malachi 4:5,6.

1.      Israel knew the redemptive conditions outlined in the 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel 9. If they had met these conditions, the plan of salvation and “the great day of the Lord” would have been completed long ago. All of the Old Testament prophecies given by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, Amos, Ezekiel, Malachi and others would have been fulfilled just as they were written. “The great day of the Lord” would have happened shortly after the end of the seventeenth week if Israel had met the conditions God set forth in Daniel 9. In other words, if Israel had satisfied these conditions, John the Baptist would have fulfilled the prophecy of Malachi 4 to the letter and that would have been the end of the story.

2.      Since Israel failed, God’s plan for Israel and the establishment of His kingdom on Earth was not implemented at the end of the seventieth week – simply put, Israel rejected the Messiah. This is a profound point: A person must have a Messiah’s heart to accept the teachings and truths taught by the Messiah. For this reason, we must be born again. Most of the people in Israel rejected and crucified the Messiah because they did not have a Messiah’s heart. The character and principles of the Messiah’s kingdom were foreign to the people of Israel and they rejected Him. Because of God’s original plan could not be fulfilled, the prophecies of the Old Testament (“Plan A”) were made null and void. To keep His promise and the covenant He made with Abraham, god made several changes. First, He redefined Israel. Everyone who now receives Christ is an heir of Abraham. In Christ, racial origin has no meaning. (Galatians 3:28,29) Second, Jesus rose up the trustees of the gospel. These trustees became known as Christians.   (Matthew 28:19,20; Acts 11:26) Third, God established a new prophetic schematic that is found in the book of Revelation. I call this a new course of action “Plan B.” There are man parallels between “Plan A” and “Plan B,” but these parallels are separate and distinct. One cannot merge “Plan A” events into a “Plan B” schematic.   For example, under “Plan A,” Messiah would have governed His kingdom from the city of David, Jerusalem. Under “Plan B” Jesus will govern His kingdom from His throne in New Jerusalem. (Revelation 22:3) The point is that the appearing of Elijah, predicted in Malachi 3 and 4, was connected to “the great day of the Lord” which was supposed to happen soon after the first advent of Messiah. However, after the Jews rejected Christ, God scrapped “Plan A” due to Israel’s failure to meet the conditions placed upon them in Daniel 9. However, a parallel of Malachi’s prophecy remains. The parallel (“Plan B”) is found in Revelation 7. The heralds that will appear before “the great day of the Lord” will be the 144,000 servants of God!

The Spirit and Power of Elijah

Notice what the angel said about John the Baptist before his birth. “But the angel said to him: ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 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.’” (Luke 1:13-17, italics mine) It is interesting that God forbade this all-important herald of Jesus from drinking anything that would alter his mind. God’s servants must be filled with the Holy Spirit, not a bottle of spirits.

God gave John the spirit and power of Elijah so he could turn the hearts of fathers toward their children and the disobedient toward the wisdom of the righteous – to make a group of people ready for the Lord’s coming. How did John do this? John’s message explained God’s love for sinners, but simultaneously called sin by its right name. John condemned fathers for bringing children into the world, only to shirk their God-given responsibility to be a loving father and a noble mentor for their children. John also condemned fathers and mothers for their spiritual neglect. John uses Israel’s history of apostasy to prove how nations degenerate rapidly, especially if parents do not teach and demonstrate to their children the importance of loving and obeying God. Fathers had been lax about being spiritual role models and they had neglected to maintain the families alter. Furthermore, they had abdicated their parental responsibilities to religious schools and others. The Holy Spirit’s powerful conviction fell upon those who listened. Many fathers repented of their sins, transformed their ways and were baptized! Remember, John was not conducting a baptismal campaign and counting heads. He was preaching a life-transforming gospel that bore fruit and baptism by John was a pledge of allegiance.

John did not neglect to speak to the youth, either. After all, John was a single young man himself – only 30 years of age. As young people listened, the boldness and penetration of his message impressed them. John minced no words when he pointed out that most youth were unfit to participate in the coming kingdom of God. Their rebellion against their parents and teachers made them essentially worthless for the purposes of God. John was firm, but kind. John used the circumstances surrounding his own birth to impress young people that God had a purpose for each life, but that purpose could be fulfilled only when god had dominion in the heart. He reminded the youth that God did not agree with their focus on pleasure and the acquisition of money. John’s abstemious life in the desert reflected a high calling, and I am sure he asked, “Where are those willing to forsake the world and serve God?”

Malachi 4 and Revelation 7

The parallel between the promise of Elijah (“Plan A”) and the appearing of the 144,000 (“Plan B”) awaits fulfillment. Revelation reveals the identity of Elijah for our generation! Revelation reveals there will be 144,000 servants of God who will have the spirit and power of Elijah. This is the next prophetic event. Revelation also tells us that God is holding back the four winds of His wrath until His Elijah servants are prepared and ready to do their work. Revelation also reveals that god will empower the Elijah messengers for 1,260 days. Most (if not all) of the 144,000 will be martyrs for Christ, just as John the Baptist became a martyr for the cause of Christ. The martyrdom of John brings up a good point. Notice the txt:

“Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, for John had been saying to him: ‘It is not lawful for you to have her.’ Herod wanted to kill John, but was afraid of the people, because they considered him a prophet. On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for them and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she said, ‘Give me on a platter the head of John the Baptist.’ The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted and had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother.” (Matthew 14:3-11)

Through the years, several people have asked why God did not rescue John the Baptist from prison like He rescued Peter. (Remember, an angel came and released Peter from chains while the guards slept. Acts 12) why did God allow the wicked Herodias and the even more detestable Herod to kill one of the greatest prophets? The best answer I can offer is this: When Israel apparently would not accept Jesus as the Messiah and it became impossible for Jesus to establish His kingdom on Earth, the Father allowed John the Baptist to be killed, rather than suffer the humiliation and ridicule of being called a false prophet. If John the Baptist had lived to be as old as Methuselah (969 years), the things he predicted at the Jordan River would not have happened. This is the year 2003 and still these events have not occurred, nor will they ever come to pass! The provisions given under “Plan A” are dead. John was not a false prophet. The truth he preached was conditional. Israel rejected “Plan A” and God abandoned them. The good news is that “Plan B” is unconditional. All that God has said will happen at the appointed time. (Revelation 9:15 shows one example of this.) The Second Coming and the establishment of God’s kingdom (“Plan B”) is not dependant upon human cooperation.

During the Great Tribulation, the 144,000 will accomplish their mission. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14) The gospel will be preached to everyone before the end of the world comes, but most of the 144,000 will perish for speaking God’s truth before the Second Coming occurs! (Revelation 11:7) John the Baptist was murdered for condemning sin, Jesus was murdered for condemning sin, and the 144,000 will suffer the same fate. Is the servant greater than the Master? Understand the powers of good and evil: Those who love sin hate the truth, and they will do everything they can to eliminate the condemnation of sin except to repent! People who love truth will do everything they can to be loyal to it, even if allegiance brings death. Jesus warned,  “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been through God.” (John 3:20,21)

The Highest Authority

There is one last point in this study that I would like you to consider. When Jesus stood before Pilate, He gave a powerful revelation to Pilate. Consider these words, “Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, ‘Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.’ When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, ‘Here is the man!’ As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, ‘Crucify! Crucify!’ But Pilate answered, ‘you take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.’ The Jews insisted, ‘We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.’ When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. ‘Where do you come from?’ he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave no answer. ‘Do you realize I have the power either to free you or to crucify you?’ Jesus answered, ‘you would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” (John 19:4-11)

Reread the word of Jesus in the last two sentences again. Jesus told Pilate something very shocking. The Father handed Jesus over to Pilate; otherwise, Pilate would have no power over Him! This principle reveals that God is intimately involved in the affairs on Earth From this statement; I conclude the Father also handed John the Baptist over to Herod. I am not endorsing fatalism – “what will be  - will be.” Rather, I am saying that when a person surrenders his or her wills to God – as John and Jesus did – God uses that person to accomplish His intricate purposes. When that purpose is complete, God often allows His loyal soldiers to rest in death until the day comes for life eternal. I am highlighting this point because the Great Tribulation is soon to begin and God’s people have nothing to fear as long as they submit to the higher authority of the King of kings. Revelation says, “If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.” (Revelation 13:10, italics mine) God has a plan for His saints. He already knows where we will end up. The question before each of us is this: “Are we willing to allow God to use us so that He can fulfill the purpose for which we were born?”

Jesus also told Pilate, “Therefore, the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” Jesus was speaking about Lucifer and his demons that were present in Pilate’s judgment hall. Ultimately, Lucifer and his unseen demons instigated the mob to hand Jesus over to Pilate. The Jew rejected Messiah and they handed Jesus over for destruction. Later, their punishment was total destruction in A.D. 70. Lucifer has been and still remains the instigator of hatred against Christ from the beginning. Lucifer is the original Antichrist. Lucifer is the father of sin and Lucifer will bear his guilt. At the appointed time, Lucifer and his demons will provide full restitution for their deeds. God will see to it.

144,000 Streets of Gold?

Ultimately, John the Baptist and Jesus met the same fate. God did not establish His kingdom in John’s day. These cousins died for the same reason: They spoke the truth and the world could not bear to hear it. Is it any different today? No. When the 144,000 appear and begin to proclaim God’s truth, the results will be the same. The 144,000 will be harassed and tortured and most, if not all, will perish as a result of their ministry. Nevertheless, the story does not stop there. God will resurrect and reward every one of them like Elijah! The Bible says the 144,000 will wear the names of the Father and the Son on their foreheads. (Revelation 14:1; 22:4) They will be Jesus’ personal attendants in God’s kingdom. The Bible says the New Jerusalem has twelve gates named after the twelve tribes of Israel, and the city’s twelve foundations are named after the twelve disciples of Jesus. I wonder if the holy city has 144,000 streets of gold – each bearing the name of God’s loyal servants. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if those who received salvation during the Great Tribulation lived on a street named after the servant of God who invited them to receive Jesus?

Jesus said, “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.” This brings our study to a close. John the Baptist was not the greatest prophet to live on Earth because of who he was. John the Baptist was the greatest prophet because he preached the greatest message ever told. If announcing the first advent was the highest honor that god could bestow upon one person, what honor will be given to those who stand firm against the same rejection to herald the second and more glorious coming of Jesus?

Quiz:

1. After reading this study, would you be ready for a mighty work for the Lord?

2. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be filled with the Holy Spirit?

3. Do you have to be baptized in a particular faith to be saved in God’s eternal kingdom?

4. Do you think you could be one of the 144,000 servants of God? If Yes! Why?

5. Do you think God has a time and place for everyone to learn this gospel message?

6. Are you willing to accept new truths from this lesson and why?

7. Do you understand the difference between “Plan A” and “Plan B” in this lesson?

Notes:

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