Year of Prophecy – Episode 12: At the end of the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi points forward to Elijah coming to be a forerunner for Jesus. Was this a literal prediction of Elijah’s return, or a symbolic idea that can have more than one understanding? Discover this and more as we look at this prophecy and how Jesus attributes it to John the Baptist’s ministry.
Read the transcript:
Picking back up where we left off of in our last episode, we continue looking at a set of prophecies that focus on John the Baptist stepping into history as Jesus’ forerunner in ministry. In our last episode, we looked at a prophecy in Isaiah that John used to frame his ministry. And in this episode, we’ll look at a prophecy that other people, specifically Jesus, frame John to be.
However, before looking at Jesus’ words about John, let’s first read the Old Testament prophecy that will be the foundation for this topic. This prophecy and our passage is found in the book of Malachi, chapter 4, and we will read it using the New American Standard Bible. Starting in verse 1, Malachi writes:
1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the Lord of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.” 2 “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. 3 You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the Lord of hosts.
4 “Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel.
5 “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. 6 He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”
Similar to how the prophecy in our last episode can be interpreted in a broader context than simply looking at Jesus’ first coming, I can easily see how this prophecy in Malachi could have multiple ways it could be fulfilled.
Personally, if I imagine the time when history is over and eternity has begun, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn how this prophecy had several times when it was fulfilled, because at its essence, this prophecy draws our focus onto God sending an Elijah-like prophet into the world prior to doing anything big in the world. Jesus arriving into this world to bring about salvation is huge, and it is worth sending someone ahead of Him to prepare the way. Jesus returning to the earth at the end of time is another time that I could see warranting an Elijah-like prophet to warn people what would be coming soon.
However, while there are several ways this prophecy could be understood, when we look at how Jesus frames John’s life, we get an interesting picture.
In Matthew’s gospel, chapter 11, starting in verse 11, Matthew writes Jesus’ words, saying:
11 Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one 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 suffers violence, and violent men take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
In this declaration to Jesus’ disciples after John’s disciples had left to deliver a message from Jesus to John, Jesus draws attention onto John being Elijah.
However, in the crazy world we live in where people like to cherry-pick passages out of the Bible to support their claims, I have read non-Christians use this verse to support the idea of reincarnation, specifically that Jesus made the claim that John was actually a reincarnated Elijah.
The only way this claim makes sense is if someone is vastly ignorant of the Old Testament Elijah and the New Testament teachings of Jesus. In the Old Testament, Elijah did not die. Instead, he was carried to heaven in a whirlwind and a fiery chariot. If you are interested in looking this event up, it can be found in 2 Kings, chapter 2, verses 1 through 14.
In order to be reincarnated, one must have at least physically died, or at least that is how I understand it. Since Elijah did not physically die, that presents a problem for this claim of reincarnation.
Moving forward into the New Testament, to the passage we looked at in our last episode, John himself does not claim to be Elijah. In John 1:19-23, we read John the Baptist’s own words where John the gospel writer tells us:
19 This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”
Both the Old and New Testaments challenge this example as supporting the idea of reincarnation, and John the Baptist would be the one most clearly informed about whether he was actually Elijah or not.
Instead, Luke frames John the Baptist’s life and ministry a little differently, and in a way that is less likely to be misunderstood. In Luke, chapter 1, starting in verse 8, prior to John even having been born, Luke tells us:
8 Now it happened that while he [referring to Zacharias, who would become John the Baptist’s father] was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. 11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
In Malachi’s prophecy, which is found at the very end of the Old Testament, we discover a powerful prediction about God sending a forerunner ahead of Jesus stepping into the world. This forerunner would fulfill the spiritual role that Elijah filled, and he would help prepare those who would listen to the truth that God’s Messiah had entered the world. In this way, John filled Elijah’s spiritual shoes, or you could say Elijah’s mission, while technically not being Elijah himself.
Just like our prophecy in our last episode has relevance for people living outside of the first century, this prophecy is equally as powerful. Looking at Malachi’s words promising a messenger coming prior to God’s Day of Judgment, we can step into this Elijah-like role when we help others turn to, or perhaps turn back to, God.
God has promised to send messengers prior to Him stepping into the world in a big way, and we can collectively step into this role when we help each other turn towards God while also turning away from sin.
When we lead people to Jesus, not only are we increasing the number of people who will be saved, we are also living our lives in the spirit and power of Elijah as we look forward to the day Jesus will return and the day when sin will be wiped into the past.
As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:
As I always open by challenging you, intentionally seek God first in your life and choose to move forward in your life in the spirit and power of Elijah, focusing your heart and life on God while also leading others to Jesus.
Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself to keep your connection with God strong, and to keep your relationship with Him personal. While other people can have good things to think about, don’t let your relationship with God be dependent on anyone else. Don’t let anyone squeeze their way between you and God. God wants a personal relationship with you and Jesus came to make that relationship possible.
And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or give up on where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!
Read this article on the web on it's official page: A Physical or Spiritual Elijah: Malachi 4:1-6
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