April 9, 2012 Will Elijah Come Again?

Will Elijah Come Again?

Mark 9:11-13 And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

ARE YOU confused? After all, the disciples are talking about Elijah, the prophet, 800 years gone from earth. And they’re asking Jesus about the teachers who say, “Elijah must come first and restore all things.” Who and what are they talking about?
Here’s who and what: Elijah was a prophet who lived around 850 BC. He lived in caves and was a pretty rough character—he needed a shave and some new clothes. God used him to speak significant judgment against Israel’s kings, and then God did this: In 2 Kings 2:11 As Elijah and Elisha were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
He went right to Heaven! About 400 years before Christ comes Malachi, the prophet, says this: (Malachi 4:5-6) “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
The Jews expect Elijah’s return to bring healing and judgment to them. And it will come before the “day of the Lord”—the judgment of the Messiah. Having just seen Elijah at the transfiguration, the disciples are trying to confirm Malachi’s prophesy and ask, “Does Elijah need to come first?”
You’ll see Jesus’ answer tomorrow. The lesson to learn here is this: To know the true meaning of God’s Word, you must go to God’s word to uncover its grand meaning for your life now and forever.

Pause and consider how necessary God’s Word is to know.