By David Ettinger
Here at Zion’s Hope, we receive many questions encompassing a multitude of Biblical topics. Here’s an example of one of those inquiries (which was given to me), and my response.
The Question
Hello Ralph (not actual name),
My name is David Ettinger, and I am a writer / teacher here at Zion’s Hope.
Your question was forwarded to me, which stated: “I have a question about Malachi 4:5-6. Is Elijah returning? It sounds like he will be coming back to warn us about the Day of the Lord. I am confused. Ralph.”
My Reply
Thank you for your question, Ralph. This is a confusing issue for many Bible readers, and there is not a definitive answer. What I can do, however, is give you an overview of the issue.
1. In Malachi 3:1 we read:
“Behold, I am sending My messenger, and he will clear a way
before Me. And the Lord, whom you are seeking, will suddenly
come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom
you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the LORD of armies.
The vast majority of scholars believe this particular messenger to be John the Baptist, and we concur.
2. We read in Matthew 17:10-12:
And His [Jesus’] disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that
Elijah must come first?’ And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming
and will restore all things; but I say to you that Elijah already came,
and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they
wanted. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”
Jesus here is referencing John the Baptist. He says of John, “Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted.”
So, was John the Baptist the Elijah who is to come?
3. It also seems this way according to Luke 1:17. There, the priest Zechariah is speaking with the archangel Gabriel about Zechariah’s son who will be born to him and his wife Elizabeth in their old age, John the Baptist. Gabriel says of John:
And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit
and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers back to their children,
and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous,
to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
4. However, note that phrase, “in the spirit and power of Elijah” – not Elijah himself.
And also note John the Baptist clearly states in John 1:21 that he is NOT Elijah: “And so they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ And he said, ‘I am not.’”
Also, returning to Jesus’ words in Matthew 17:11, He said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things.”
This did not happen at Christ’s first coming, so therefore, the Elijah reference is for the end of the age, as you indicated in your question. John the Baptist is not Elijah. What Jesus taught is that IF Israel would have accepted Jesus as their King, then John would have served the purpose of Elijah.
5. And one more thing … notice again the phrase by the archangel Gabriel, who said that the forerunner would come “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17).
So, tying it all up, either Elijah himself will precede the return of Christ, or someone such as Elijah will precede Christ’s return, someone who will come “in the spirit and power of Elijah.”
If it is actually Elijah, many believe he will be one of the 2 witnesses of Revelation 11. If it is someone who comes “in the spirit and power of Elijah,” then it would be an individual specifically chosen and gifted for such an assignment. That is, the “Elijah” to come will be equipped to “turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers …” (Malachi 4:6).
So there you go! You asked a very short question and I gave you a very long answer, but all the above is entwined in the issue of the future Elijah’s identity.
I hope I helped clarify rather than confuse!
In Christ,
David Ettinger
David Ettinger is a writer/editor at Zion’s Hope, Inc., and has written for Zion’s Fire magazine since its inception in 1990.
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