“What is your business here, Elijah?” To this he said: “I have been absolutely jealous for Jehovah the God of armies; for the sons of Israel have left your covenant, your altars they have torn down, and your prophets they have killed by the sword, so that I only am left; and they begin looking for my soul to take it away” (1 Kings 19:14)
The New American Bible (Saint Joseph Edition) translates Malachi 3:23,24 (same as Malachi 4:6 in many translations); “Lo, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, Before the day of the LORD comes, the great and terrible day, To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the land with doom.”
Daniel 11:31-35 gives us a time frame when the work of “Elijah” occurs. This is the “straightening” or “cleansing” of God’s people during their time of tribulation. This work happens during the entire 3 and a half years that start with the destruction / conquering of Jerusalem of our day. Although this “Elijah” may exist today, it seems that the noticeable effects of the cleansing work do not start until after the destruction / conquering of Jerusalem of our day, by the king of the north of our day.
Malachi 4:5,6 states that this “Elijah” (which could be a person or group) comes “before the coming of the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah.” How long before “the coming of the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah” does this “Elijah” come? There is not a certain answer but we have the example of John the Baptist who was known as an “Elijah.” He could not have been doing his work very long before the arrival of Jesus (when Jesus was baptized).
Bible prophesy and other bible principles would have to be clearly understood by an “Elijah,” for a “straightening” to occur.
- Daniel 12:9 states “…Go, Daniel, because the words are made secret until the time of [the] end.” So it can be reasoned that the “Elijah” of our day would have this understanding to use for the “time of [the] end.”
- If the presented interpretation of prophesies on this web site are correct, this could be part of the “Elijah” work – Because it would be presenting correct scriptural understanding that can be used by God’s people to cleanse their worship.
The messages from Elijah of long ago were not deemed to have God’s backing by the people (in general) until they literally had seen a sign. It is also interesting how God’s people did not know who to take sides with. Many may had been “born into” worshiping this way and been told it was correct their entire lives. (1 Kings 18:21: “Then Elijah approached all the people and said: “How long will YOU be limping on two different opinions? If Jehovah is the [true] God, go following him; but if Baal is, go following him.” And the people did not say a word in answer to him.) (1 Kings 18:36, 37: And it came about at the time that the grain offering goes up that Elijah the prophet began to approach and say: “O Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that you are God in Israel and I am your servant and it is by your word that I have done all these things. Answer me, O Jehovah, answer me, that this people may know that you, Jehovah, are the [true] God and you yourself have turned their heart back.”)
- It is not expected that many, if any, put faith in this timeline or anything mentioned in this site until Jerusalem is captured (or conquered with a minimum of reverting back to its condition before the 1967 “six-day” war – see timeline, Daniel 8:13,14) by the king of the north of our day (Daniel 11:31) – which I firmly believe is bible based.
- It is up to speculation of how many of Israel heard Elijah before people put faith in his word but I am sure the word spread fast. The same thing most likely happened with John the Baptist’s work. To what extent this message of straightening out will be known (and possibly somewhat acted upon) before God’s people put full faith in it is yet to be seen (8/18/2010).
The “Elijah” in Jesus’ day and for our day is mentioned at Matthew 17:1-13 (WEB) (Same account at Luke 9:28-36 and Mark 9:1-13):
After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain by themselves. 2 He was changed[a] before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light. 3 Behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him.
4 Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, let’s make three tents here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”
6 When the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces, and were very afraid. 7 Jesus came and touched them and said, “Get up, and don’t be afraid.” 8 Lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus alone.
9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Don’t tell anyone what you saw, until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.”
10 His disciples asked him, saying, “Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
11 Jesus answered them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and will restore all things; 12 but I tell you that Elijah has come already, and they didn’t recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted to. Even so the Son of Man will also suffer by them.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Baptizer.
- Notice that “Elijah” was to come “and will restore all things” although John the Baptist was dead at the time of this statement.
Matthew 11:7-14 (WEB) speaks of John the Baptist as an “Elijah”:
7 As these went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet. 10 For this is he, of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ Malachi 3:1 11 Most certainly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.[a] 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 If you are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, who is to come.
- This shows us that John the Baptist was not of the kingdom of the heavens. Yet he was of a priestly line (Compare Luke 1:5). This along with other reasoning indicate that the “messenger” to straighten things out is not of the spiritual priestly class that will rule with Christ (Revelation 5:9,10). Elijah of old was not either. Prophets used to straighten things out went to the priestly class, kings, and people to warn them of their ways but it seems that most came from outside the “priestly” class. (John was of a literal priestly line and he did warn the people – Luke 3:7-14) Does this mean it will happen this way today? No one can say for sure but it is not important. It doesn’t matter.
“Elijah’s spirit” is defined in part at Luke 1:17 (WEB) 17 He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ Malachi 4:6 and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to prepare a people prepared for the Lord.”
Isaiah 40:3-5 (WEB) 3 The voice of one who calls out,
“Prepare the way of Yahweh in the wilderness!
Make a level highway in the desert for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The uneven shall be made level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 Yahweh’s glory shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together;
for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.”
- John the Baptist referred to this scripture when ones asked who he was (Luke 3:4-6 WEB)
In Luke 1: 67-79 (WEB) John the Baptist (also known as an “Elijah”) was prophesied about :
67 His father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
68 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people;
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
70 (as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets who have been from of old),
71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 to show mercy toward our fathers,
to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath which he swore to Abraham our father,
74 to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies,
should serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the dawn from on high will visit us,
79 to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death;
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Malachi 4:6a “And he must turn the heart of fathers back toward sons, and the heart of sons back toward fathers;”
Malachi 4:6b “in order that I may not come and actually strike the earth with a devoting [of it] to destruction.”
- Remember the account of Sodom and Gomorrah at Genesis 18:23-33 where Abraham humbly “pleaded” with Jehovah not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and got Jehovah to say in verse 32b “I shall not bring it to ruin on account of the ten.” (Talking about not ruining Sodom and Gomorrah if Jehovah found 10 righteous ones there) We know what happened. And the current situation of “all of” Jehovah’s people offering “polluted bread” (apostasy) by including false teachings as part of his word (although most are unaware of this) certainly does not make them legally righteous in his eyes. (Isaiah 9:16-17 and Jeremiah 17:13) Jehovah has grounds for a spiritual divorcing.
- Psalms 14:2-3 2 Yahweh looked down from heaven on the children of men,
to see if there were any who understood,
who sought after God.
3 They have all gone aside.
They have together become corrupt.
There is no one who does good, no, not one.
Jude 18-19 (WEB): 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts.” 19 These are those who cause divisions and are sensual, not having the Spirit.
- The word “ridiculers” is noted by the reference bible to be literally “players in sport [of mocking]”.
- This word “mocking” reminds me of Elijah mocking the priests of Baal (1 Kings 18:27). He was a righteous and spiritual man but he was mocking false worship. His mocking and Jehovah’s action did cause a division among Jehovah’s people but it was with the intent of cleansing false worship from among Jehovah’s people. The “Elijah” of our day does not fit into this category of men mentioned in verses 18 and 19 because those ones proceeded according to their own desires for ungodly things.