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 ELIJAH COMES FIRST

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

It was prophesied of John the Baptist before his birth that he would go before the Lord "in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Lk. 1:17). Yet, when John began his ministry of preaching, he was asked point-blank by priests, "Are you Elijah?" John ans­wered just as pointedly, "I am NOT" (see John 1:21). The fact that John refused to claim that he was some great one out of the past, a prophet who had lived before, should be an example and warning to us. Any individual person who claims he is ELI­JAH, or someone else out of the past, is surely FALSE! Those who are truly called of God do not make presumptuous claims. However, we will see in this study that John the Baptist did fulfill the "Elijah" prophecies for his day, and that there is to be a fulfillment of those same "Elijah" prophecies for our day, not by some man who claims he is Elijah come back, but by a pre­paratory move of the Spirit of God.

John the Baptist was to PREPARE THE WAY of the Lord as follows: "And many of the children of Israel shall he TURN to the Lord their God. . . 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" (Lk. 1:16-16). To prepare THE WAY is to prepare a PEOPLE who will TURN from their ways to GOD'S WAY. This calls for a REPENTANCE (a TURNing) and a RESTORATION (of the WAY). This people (a "firstfruits remnant") who will turn wholeheartedly to be established in HIS WAY, shall then become THE WAY to mul­titudes during the time of great harvest that is coming.

In order to understand more aspects of these truths not covered in this study, order the booklet, "The Voice of the Bridegroom" by the same author. A study of that booklet will be helpful in getting the completed picture of an Elijah-John the Baptist ministry preparing the way of the Lord in these days and in the days that are ahead. John's ministry as the “friend of the Bridegroom" to prepare the Bride is presented in detail.

  

 

ELIJAH IS HERE

 

God's prophet. "Behold, Elijah is here!” These are the startling words that were to be conveyed to Ahab the King of Israel by Obadiah, the governor of his house (I Kings 18:7-8). Elijah had been hiding away at the command of God during the time of drought which had come as a judgment on the nation, be­cause of the wickedness of the king and his foreign wife, Jeze­bel. But the time had come for the drought to end, and God was once again going to send rain on the land. Elijah therefore had to emerge to get the people ready for what was coming,

 

A living drama. What takes place in the story of Elijah as recorded in the 17th & 18th chapters of I Kings is extremely signif­icant for the day in which we are living.  God has wrought a "living drama" for us that we might learn by the things that are written aforehand for our admonition (I Cor. 10:11). This story takes on special significance in light of that which is spoken by Malachi the prophet: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: 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" (4:5-6). Signs indicate that the great "day" of the Lord's judgments on this earth and His return in power and great glory (Mt. 24:30) are near at hand. Therefore the prophecy of Malachi must be fulfilled before He comes.

 

 

Preliminary fulfillment. Many prophecies in the Bible have both a preliminary and a final fulfillment. Sometimes there is even more than one preliminary fulfillment before the prophecy finds its final and complete fulfillment. God's Word is rich and many-sided, having many facets of application, like the many sides of a beautiful jewel, each reflecting the light in its own way, and adding to the symmetry of the whole. Paul speaks of the "manifold (many-sided) wisdom of God" (Eph. 3:10), and certainly this is incorporated into His Word, as history (His story) unfolds in harmony with the predictive words of the prophets, pulsating in rhythmic fulfillments, both preliminary and final, but conforming to the basic pattern of each prophetic declara­tion.

 

John the Baptist. The disciples asked Jesus a question. "Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?" Jesus replied, "Elijah does come and will get everything restored and ready; but I tell you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know or recognize him, but did to him as they liked. Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them about John the Baptist" (Mt. 17:10-13 Amplified). The scribes knew the law, and were familiar with the prophecy of Malachi that Elijah was to be sent before the day of the Lord's appearing, but because they were blinded by their own traditions, these religious leaders did not recognize the fulfillment of the prophecy before their very eyes. But Jesus said John the Baptist was the fulfillment of the Elijah prophecy for His day.

 

Warning.  The above should be a warning to us. Unless we have "eyes to see and ears to hear" (Mt. 13:16), it is possible for important prophetic events to be taking place around us and not even be aware of it. Jesus said "The kingdom of God comes not with observation (with outward show and display so that everyone is aware of it): neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you (or, in your midst)" (Lk. 17:20-21). God's kingdom workings and pro­gressive fulfillment can be taking place right in the midst of even religious people, and yet they may not be aware of it, or its spiritual significance in relation to God's unfolding pur­poses. Concerning John the Baptist, Jesus spoke on another occasion, "All the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you will receive it, this is Elijah who was to come. He that has ears to hear, let him hear" (Mt. 11:14-15). Ah, dear friend, pray for spiritual perception and attunement to the di­vine Word and its fulfillment even in this day, that you may have grace to receive what shall be unfolded herein.

 

Preliminary and partial. To show how a prophetic scripture may be fulfilled in part but not fully in a particular historical setting, let us take a look at Isa. 40:3-5: "The voice of him that cries in the wilderness. Prepare [ ] the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it." This passage is quoted in Mt. 3:3 & Lk. 3:4-6 as being fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist, as he prepared the way for the coming of Jesus and pointed the people to Him. Although many did see the "glory" of the Lord in the person of Jesus (John 1:14), it can hardly be said that "ALL FLESH shall see it together" has been fulfilled. Also, the scriptures are clear that the full GLORY of the Lord is not to manifest until He appears a second time (Lk. 21:27).

 

Patterns by the prophets. Before we look further at the Elijah ministry for our day, let us examine the story of Elijah in the 17th & 18th chapters of I Kings and behold the prophetic drama. God makes clear His manner of speaking through the prophets in Hos. 12:10: "I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and have used similitudes (patterns) by the ministry of the prophets." The last statement means that God had the prophets act out "symbolic dramas" by things which He required them to DO. And through such "living parables" God SPEAKS to His people.  Let's use this KEY then in unlocking the meaning of that which God told Elijah to do.

 

PART I I

 

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