Elijah is Coming.

Elijahs Future Ministry:

Malachi clearly teaches that Elijah will make a visit during the tribulation to the nation of Israel (Mal. 4:5). Elijah will be joined by Moses, as the two from the past who appeared at Christs transfiguration (Matt. 17:3). It should be noted that the verse preceding the Elijah prophecy says the following:

Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel (Mal. 4:4). Thus, even in the Malachi prophecy about Elijah coming, Moses is mentioned in the context, which provides support for the notion that Moses is one of the two witnesses in Revelation 11 along with Elijah.

Malachi 4:5-6 foretells of an important role that Elijah will play in relation to the nation of Israel. Such language teaches that Elijah will play a future role during the tribulation in the conversion of the nation of Israel, before the second coming of Christ.

Since Malachi's prophecy makes it clear that Elijah will play a role in end-time events, it is almost certain that this return of Elijah during the tribulation will be as one of the two witnesses spoken of in Revelation 11:3.

There are some who teach that the ministry of John the Baptist was a fulfillment of the prediction of the coming of Elijah from Malachi 4:5 at Christ's first coming. This is not the case. John the Baptist fulfilled a different prediction, that of Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3-5.

Yet, John the Baptist was said to be a forerunner, who would come in the spirit and power of Elijah (Lk. 1:17). Christ told His disciples concerning John the Baptist if you care to accept it, he himself is Elijah, who was to come (Matt. 11:14).

But Israel did not accept Jesus as their Messiah at His first coming and therefore the kingdom did not arrive. In fact, when John the Baptist was asked directly, Are you Elijah? He clearly said, I am not (John 1:21). Thus, because of Israel's rejection, John the Baptist was John the Baptist (My messenger) and not Elijah. So Elijah is still to come.

But Israel did not accept Jesus as their Messiah at His first coming and therefore the kingdom did not arrive....

Thus, because of Israel's rejection, John the Baptist was John the Baptist (My messenger) and not Elijah. So Elijah is still to come.

Lud this ain't about having saints pray for anybody - stick to the topic.




Ok...never heard of this baptismal change - but then maybe..

the Baptist,

So called after the identifying feature of his ministry. The first announcement of the gospel began and ended with baptism. John came baptizing as a way to prepare men for Christ, and the Lord’s final instruction to his disciples when he ascended into heaven was to continue the work of preaching and baptizing in his name (Matt. 28:19; Mk. 16:15, 16). John’s baptism called men to repentance and to believe on the Messiah to come, but did not evoke any name over the subject. In contrast, Christian baptism evokes the name of Jesus over the subject for remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 8:16; 10:48; 19:5; 22:16). Following Jesus’ ascension, those baptized with the baptism of John were charged to be re-baptized in Jesus’ name (Acts 19:1-5). The word “baptize” is from the Greek baptizw, and means to dip repeatedly, to immerse, submerge; to cleanse by dipping or submerging.[2]Accordingly, the examples of baptism we find in the New Testament involve immersing the repentant believer in water.[3] Precedent for baptism may be found in the Old Testament and its many washings to purify the flesh, but whose real purpose stood as object lessons regarding the holiness of God and man’s defilement from sin. The priests, upon their first consecration to office, and the high priest, before entering into the Holy of Holies, were to wash their flesh in water (Ex. 30:20; 40:12; Lev. 8:6; 16:4); and for defilement associated with the generation of children, men and women were to bathe in water (Lev. 15:5, 21). Naaman, to be cleansed from his leprosy, was told by Elisha to dip himself seven times in the Jordan (II Kng. 5:10, 14). Josephus reports that the Essenes required those who sought entrance into their order to undergo purification by bathing in cold water.[4] But there is no scriptural or period evidence that would allow us to conclude there was a general practice among the Jews, which required the baptism of proselytes for admission into the covenant community.[5] Indeed, the very fact that Josephus mentions the practice among the Essenes shows that it was unique to that sect and not common to the Jews as a whole. Hence, John’s baptism marked the dawn of a new day and the sunset of circumcision as the rite of passage into the assembly of God’s people.

Yet, John the Baptist was said to be a forerunner, who would come in the spirit and power of Elijah

Elijah will come before the great and terrible day of the Lord for the purpose of restoring the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers