Matthew 17:11,12,13 "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 of John the Baptist."
What are they actually saying here?
What are they actually saying here?
It is interesting that this episode in the Bible is put
right after the transfiguration of Jesus on the Mount, where
Elijah and Moses appeared to Him. This impressed Jesus'
disciples so much that they were still talking about it and
asking questions about it. (See Matt 17:10 "The disciples
asked him, "Why then do the teachers of the law say that
Elijah must come first?" NIV)
Jesus answered them: Matt 17:11-12: "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." For once, the teachers of the law
were correct. Elijah was to appear before the Messiah. It
was not the actual Elijah from the Old Testament, but it was
Elijah in the spiritual sense.
The angel appearing to Zachariah, John the Baptist's father,
shedding light on this. Luke 1:16-17 "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." God is referring to John the
Baptist as Elijah! Let's take a closer look at this:
1. "He will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power
of Elijah." Yes, John the Baptist was bold and his spirit
attracted many people to God's kingdom. Just like Elijah was
considered one of the greatest prophets of the Old
Testament, John the Baptist is referred to by Jesus Himself
as the greatest prophet. Matt 11:11: "I tell you the truth:
Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater
than John the Baptist."
2. "to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Many of
the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their
God." Just like Elijah, John the Baptist turned the heart of
his people back to God.
The disciples understood what Jesus said. Matt 17:13 "Then
the disciples understood that he was talking to them about
John the Baptist." But the important message of this passage
is not that John the Baptist is referred to as Elijah, but
that "they (the teachers of the law) did not recognize him,
but have done to him everything they wished . . ."
(Remember? He was beheaded!) Matt 17:12.
The same was true about Jesus, the Messiah. Matt 17:12 "In
the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their
hands." Just as John was rejected by the teachers of the
law, Jesus was also rejected by his people. And just as John
was put to death by his people, Jesus was also going to be
put to death by the teachers of the law.
Religion does not save, my friends. Religion condemns
people. Only Jesus saves! Only Jesus reaches out in love to
you and invites you in His kingdom. Will you accept His
offer? It is not too late, my friend. He wants you to be
where He is. Don't do the same mistake that the teachers of
the law did in Jesus' days on this earth. They were so
puffed up and blinded by "knowledge", that they were unable
to recognize the Messiah of the world. They wanted truth to
be crucified. They wanted it out of the way.
You have a choice to make. Do you want truth or do you want
to follow some man-made fantasy that leads right to death?
The choice is yours. Will you accept Jesus now in your life?
If you do, please
Click here
http://answers2prayer.org/saviours_call.html
Rob Chaffart
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RESPONSE:
11. This will be fulfilled at the time of the great
tribulation, when Elijah will be one of the two witnesses
(Rev. 11:3-4), as prophesied in Mal. 4:5-6.
12 - 13. These refer to John the Baptist (v. 13), who came
in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:13-17) and was
rejected (11:18) and beheaded (14:3-12).
However, are you preparing to meet him? Remember the
scripture declares:
“Here I am! I stand at the door (the door of your heart) and
knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will
come in and eat with him, and he with me.
It is important for you to search your life and repent if
their be any sins there. The great tribulation is not a
joke. It is a time where there will separation between the
chaff and the substance. You cannot withstand the terror of
the enemy if you are caught unawares. It is important that
you decide and accept the Jesus as your personal Lord and
Savior.
The Conclusion of the Matter
Not only was the Teacher wise, but also he imparted
knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and
set in order many proverbs. The Teacher searched to find
just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and
true. The words of the wise are like goads, their collected
sayings like firmly embedded nails – given by one Shepherd.
Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of
making many books there is no end, and much study wearies
the body. Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of
the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is
the whole ‘duty’ of man. For God will bring every deed into
judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good
or evil.
God bless you!
Rev Debo Adeyemo
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There is a prophecy that tells of the prophet Elijah
coming to prepare the way of the Lord.
Malachi 4:5-AV Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
Malachi 4:6-AV And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to
the children, and the heart of the children to their
fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Luke 1:17-AV And he shall go before him in the spirit and
power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the
children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to
make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
This prophecy obviously has application prior to the second
coming. In the verses above Jesus tells His disciples that
Elijah also came to prepare the way for His first coming.
This Elijah was referred to as John the Baptist.
Malachi 3:1-AV Behold, I will send my messenger, and he
shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek,
shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the
covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith
the LORD of hosts.
Isaiah 40:3-AV The voice of him that crieth in the
wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in
the desert a highway for our God.
These verses have reference to the first coming of the Lord
where John the Baptist prepared the way before Him. It seems
therefore that the ‘Spirit of Elijah’, prepares the way of
the Lord prior to both the first and second comings. Just as
John the Baptist was not ‘actually’ Elijah, but a man doing
similar work with similar power, so too will the ‘end times
Elijah’ be someone not known as ‘Elijah’ but doing this
preparatory work. In fact, many believe that the ‘Spirt of
Elijah’ that is to come prior to the second coming will not
be a single man, but the remnant people who take the last
great message of evangelization to the world while being
persecuted for refusing to wear the ‘mark of the beast’.
Whether there will be an outstanding individual that can be
identified as ‘Elijah’, just as John the Baptist was, at the
head of the remnant, or whether it will in fact be the
remnant group themselves, remains to be seen. There will be
a work of preparation done in accordance with these
prophecies, of that we can be sure.
We are fast approaching this time when these prophecies will
have application. Many are looking to this time and
wondering if they will be able to stand, if their faith will
be strong enough to carry them through. However, it is not
just the impending coming of the Lord to gather His own that
we must be prepared for, none of us knows which heartbeat
will be our last, and when that last beat happens, for us,
it is all over. If we have not accepted Jesus by the time of
our passing it is too late. Dear reader, if you still need
to accept Jesus as your Savior, or if you are not sure,
answer ‘The Savior’s Call’ in this newsletter.
Lance Wearmouth
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I think the passage explains itself if
we let it. John the Baptist took the Elijah message of
repentance to Israel in Jesus day. John the Baptist
fulfilled the old testament prophecy that Elijah would come
before the Messiah.
Ruth deGraaff
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This is a very interesting question.
First we must ask who was Elijah, and what did he do that
was special enough to the Lord to want it done again. Elijah
first appears in history when he boldly walks into King
Ahabs throne room and tells him that it is not going to rain
for 3.5 years, because of the his sins and the sins of
Isreal, turns around and walks out and prays for no more
rain. and then he disappears into wilderness until the time
is up. And then he challenges all the prophets of Jezebel
and Baal, about 850, to put their gods to the test. Your
lifeless gods agaist my God.
Lets see who is the real God. He says to the people of
Israel Choose this day who you will serve if Baal is god
choose Baal but If God be God choose Him. The Lord of Heaven
shows his power, Baal fails to show any thing, Elijah kills
all the false prophets prays for rain and turns the hearts
of the people back to the only real God. Please note here
that this was not the Elijahs' evangelistic team, it was
just ONE man, ONE man filled with the Spirit of God. Behold
I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and
dreadful day of the Lord. Mal.4:5 I have heard some say that
they believe that Elijah will return in person or that he
will be reincarnated if you can believe such a thing as
that.. But I personally believe that it is the work of
Elijah and the Portion of Gods Spirit it will take to do
that work that is spoken of in the above verse. which brings
us to John the Baptist.
Johns father Zacharias prophesied of John, "Thou child shalt
be called the prophet of the Highest. For thou shalt go
before the face of the Lord and prepare His way." Luke 1:76
And He did. He call the people to repentance, the same as
Elijah. He said of himself, I am, the voice of ONE crying in
the wilderness crying in the wilderness make straight the
way of the Lord, as said by the prophet Esaias. [Isa 40:3]
Again ONE man filled with the Spirit of God turned a wayward
people toward their Maker. He bucked the religious leaders,
and reproved the king. {for which he was put in prison and
beheaded} It takes a special kind of person for The Lord to
use in this way. A person who loves God more than life. A
person willing to be used of God. and I also believe that
this is what Jesus was talking about. The Spirit of Elijah
came in the person of John the Baptist, but it has also came
in the person of many others such as Martin Luther, for
example, ONE man who stood alone for God to turn the hearts
of the people back to Him. and there will be more before the
great and terrible day of the Lord.
Libby Knight
