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 Has all this happened?

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. He takes our judgment upon Himself and dies in our place

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