| Prior to the arrival of Jesus Christ, the nation of | | | | the Scriptures. The scroll of Isaiah the prophet |
| Israel endured several hundred years of silence | | | | was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and |
| from the Lord. The Old Testament prophets who | | | | found the place where this was written: 'The Spirit |
| had in days past delivered regular messages from | | | | of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me |
| God Almighty suddenly went silent. But in the final | | | | to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me |
| verses of the Old Testament, God gave a | | | | to proclaim that captives will be released, that the |
| promise to Israel. He promised to send the | | | | blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, |
| prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day | | | | and that the time of the Lord's favor has come.' |
| of the Lord. In the first century, many Jews lived | | | | He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the |
| in a state of constant alert, ready for the arrival | | | | attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the |
| of Elijah at a moment's notice. It was this very | | | | synagogue looked at him intently. Then he began |
| atmosphere of expectation into which John the | | | | to speak to them. 'The Scripture you've just |
| Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth first appeared. | | | | heard has been fulfilled this very day!'" Luke |
| Below is the prophecy which prompted great | | | | 4:16-21 (NLT) |
| expectation of Elijah's coming. It appears in the | | | | This prophecy was indeed fulfilled on that very |
| Book of Malachi: | | | | day by the Lord Jesus Christ. But let's examine |
| "Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before | | | | the same verses in their entirety: |
| the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. | | | | "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for |
| His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to | | | | the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to |
| their children, and the hearts of children to their | | | | the poor. He has sent me to comfort the |
| fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land | | | | brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will |
| with a curse." Malachi 4:5-6 (NLT) | | | | be released and prisoners will be freed. He has |
| For the past 2,000 years, many Christians have | | | | sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of |
| believed Elijah's identity is an open-and-shut case. | | | | the Lord's favor has come, and with it, the day |
| The conventional wisdom is that he's already | | | | of God's anger against their enemies." Isaiah 61:1-2 |
| appeared, thus fulfilling completely the prophecies | | | | (NLT) |
| of Malachi 4. It's easy to see why this is a | | | | Jesus specifically chose not to read the final part |
| commonly held belief, because Jesus Himself said | | | | of verse two, "and with it, the day of God's |
| John the Baptist was Elijah: | | | | anger against their enemies." This verse is a direct |
| "And if you are willing to accept what I say, he is | | | | reference to the Day of the Lord Almighty, the |
| Elijah, the one the prophets said would come." | | | | same day referenced in Malachi 4. Jesus was |
| Matthew 11:14 (NLT) | | | | telling us that this day is still a future event. |
| But did Jesus really identify John the Baptist as | | | | In the Book of Revelation, the Lord promises to |
| the Elijah of Malachi 4:5? Was He saying, "this is | | | | send two witnesses prior to the Day of Lord |
| THE Elijah, and there is no other"? Careful | | | | Almighty: |
| examination of the scriptures reveals that Jesus | | | | "And I will give power to my two witnesses, and |
| was not saying this. Yes, John the Baptist came in | | | | they will be clothed in burlap and will prophesy |
| the spirit and power of Elijah, but he was not | | | | during those 1,260 days. These two prophets are |
| Elijah. Just as the first century Jews expected a | | | | the two olive trees and the two lampstands that |
| conquering Messiah rather than a suffering one, | | | | stand before the Lord of all the earth. If anyone |
| they also expected a much more powerful Elijah | | | | tries to harm them, fire flashes from their |
| than the one they received. In his place, they | | | | mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how |
| received a man who, like his Messiah, would suffer | | | | anyone who tries to harm them must die. They |
| greatly at the hands of his contemporaries. | | | | have power to shut the sky so that no rain will |
| Malachi 4 | | | | fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have |
| In order to better understand the prophecy of | | | | the power to turn the rivers and oceans into |
| Elijah's coming, let's examine the context in which | | | | blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of |
| the verse appears: | | | | plague as often as they wish." Revelation 11:3-6 |
| "The Lord of Heaven's Armies says, 'The day of | | | | (NLT) |
| judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. On that | | | | The powers of these two witnesses in Revelation |
| day the arrogant and the wicked will be burned up | | | | 11 directly correlate with the powers God |
| like straw. They will be consumed - roots, | | | | provided Moses and Elijah in the Old Testament. |
| branches, and all. But for you who fear my name, | | | | Elijah is the only Old Testament prophet who |
| the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in | | | | called down fire to consume God's enemies (2 |
| his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy | | | | Kings 1:8-14). He also prophesied that it would not |
| like calves let out to pasture. On the day when I | | | | rain for three and a half years, the biblical |
| act, you will tread upon the wicked as if they | | | | equivalent of 1,260 days. In similar fashion, Moses |
| were dust under your feet,' says the Lord of | | | | was given the power to unleash plagues on Egypt |
| Heaven's Armies. 'Remember to obey the Law of | | | | and to turn the Nile red with blood. As a result, it |
| Moses, my servant - all the decrees and | | | | seems likely that Moses and Elijah are the two |
| regulations that I gave him on Mount Sinai for all | | | | witnesses of Revelation 11, for they will hold the |
| Israel. Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah | | | | same God-given powers. |
| before the great and dreadful day of the Lord | | | | In the Book of Matthew, we read of the event |
| arrives. His preaching will turn the hearts of | | | | commonly known as "the transfiguration." This is |
| fathers to their children, and the hearts of children | | | | when Jesus was suddenly transfigured "so that |
| to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike | | | | His face shone like the sun, and His clothing |
| the land with a curse.'" Malachi 4:1-6 (NLT) | | | | became dazzling white" Matthew 17:2 (NLT): |
| First and foremost, this passage describes the | | | | "Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began |
| great Day of Judgment of the Lord Almighty. This | | | | talking with Jesus. Peter exclaimed, 'Lord, it's |
| day and the day of Christ's Glorious Appearing | | | | wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I'll make |
| are one and the same. The "Lord of Heaven's | | | | three shelters as memorials - one for you, one |
| Armies" is the conquering Messiah the Jews | | | | for Moses, and one for Elijah.' But even as he |
| expected when Jesus first came. He is Lord of | | | | spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a |
| the same armies identified in Revelation 19:14, and | | | | voice from the cloud said, 'This is my dearly loved |
| the Antichrist and all his armies will bear the wrath | | | | Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.' The |
| of this heavenly force. This event, "the great and | | | | disciples were terrified and fell face down on the |
| dreadful day of Lord," is the one which will be | | | | ground. Then Jesus came over and touched them. |
| preceded by the coming of the prophet Elijah. | | | | 'Get up,' he said. 'Don't be afraid.' And when they |
| However, the last two verses of this passage | | | | looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they |
| provide us with a valuable clue. They offer two | | | | saw only Jesus." Matthew 17:3-8 (NLT) |
| possible outcomes. When Elijah comes, his | | | | The transfiguration seems to highlight both the |
| preaching will either "turn the hearts of fathers to | | | | present and future importance of Moses and Elijah |
| their children, and the hearts of children to their | | | | in God's Kingdom, and it can be interpreted as |
| fathers," or it will not. If it does, then Israel will be | | | | strong evidence that they are "the two olive |
| prepared for the King to Come. If it does not, | | | | trees and the two lampstands that stand before |
| then God will come and strike the land with a | | | | the Lord of all the earth." |
| curse. | | | | What's also noticeable in this passage is that this |
| In the first century, the nation of Israel chose the | | | | event is witnessed by Peter, James, and John. All |
| latter option. | | | | three of these disciples were contemporaries of |
| John the Baptist came, in the spirit and power of | | | | John the Baptist. They knew what he looked like, |
| Elijah, to fulfill this prophecy. Yet, although many | | | | and yet, they immediately identified Elijah as the |
| hearts were transformed by his ministry, like | | | | Old Testament prophet Elijah and not John the |
| Christ, he was ultimately rejected. Therefore, the | | | | Baptist. If John the Baptist were the second |
| land of Israel was cursed. A few years later, it fell | | | | coming of Elijah (which would have been possible |
| to the Romans, and the Jewish people were | | | | since Elijah was taken up to heaven before he |
| scattered all over the earth. The Day of | | | | died), then the disciples would've asked to build |
| Judgment was delayed, and along with it, | | | | shelters in honor of Moses and John the Baptist, |
| complete fulfillment of the prophecies of Malachi 4. | | | | not Moses and Elijah. |
| What this means is that before the Day of | | | | John the Baptist Was NOT the Elijah of the End |
| Judgment arrives, the nation of Israel will witness | | | | Times |
| the appearance of the prophet Elijah, and his | | | | As further evidence of this fact, John the Baptist |
| coming will fulfill to the letter every prophecy of | | | | himself states that he is not the expected coming |
| Malachi 4. | | | | of the prophet Elijah: |
| The Elijah of the End Times | | | | "This was John's testimony when the Jewish |
| Some have put forward the argument that John | | | | leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from |
| the Baptist completely fulfilled the prophecy of | | | | Jerusalem to ask John, 'Who are you?' He came |
| Malachi 4:5 to send "the prophet Elijah before the | | | | right out and said, 'I am not the Messiah.' 'Well |
| great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives." They | | | | then, who are you?' they asked. 'Are you Elijah?' |
| say that the appearance of John the Baptist over | | | | 'No,' he replied." John 1:19-21 (NLT) |
| 2,000 years before the great and dreadful day of | | | | John the Baptist clearly states that he is not Elijah. |
| the Lord qualifies as his coming "before" that day. | | | | Does his statement contradict the one Jesus |
| Yet the Lord Jesus did not think in such terms. In | | | | made in Matthew 11:14? No, it does not. Both |
| fact, when He first came, He specifically told the | | | | Jesus and John the Baptist knew the distinction |
| people of His generation that the Day of the Lord | | | | between the Messiah's first and second comings. |
| had not arrived. He did this in His own hometown | | | | Both knew that each coming would be preceded |
| of Nazareth, where He read a prophecy from | | | | by the prophet Elijah. The first instance would be |
| Isaiah and, by exclusion, proclaimed it only partially | | | | John the Baptist coming in the "spirit and power |
| fulfilled: | | | | of Elijah" and the second instance would be the |
| "When he came to the village of Nazareth, his | | | | appearance of the Old Testament prophet Elijah |
| boyhood home, he went as usual to the | | | | himself. |
| synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read | | | | |