Elijah the 2nd
Robert Marsh
Midland SDA Church
December 31, 2011
In the days of Christ the Hebrew people knew the prediction and promise that Elijah would show up again before the first advent of Christ. They lived in that expectation when Jesus was here.
They didn’t know who it was, how it would happen or where it would take place. But it was based on the last few lines of the book of Malachi and an interesting thing about those few lines is that Elijah will also show up again before the 2nd advent.
This week the traditional Christmas celebration occurred where the birth of Jesus is brought to our attention …especially in all the commercialization that goes on at this time.
So today we will talk about Elijah the 2nd .... when Elijah showed up before Jesus’ started his public ministry of His 1st advent.
Lets look first at Luke 3:2 ...
3:2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3:3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; 3:4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. (from Isaiah 40:3)
(Some of you may remember some years ago when we first heard from Los Angeles California the Voice of Prophecy radio broadcast and HMS Richards would say “a voice crying in the wilderness of these modern days ‘prepare ye the way of the Lord’” It was this story that was the springboard of our international radio broadcast. Next Wednesday Jan 4, 2012 will mark the 70th anniversary when the international broadcast started on that Sunday in 1942.)
Lets go to Matt 11:7 where Jesus is making a tribute to John the baptist ...
Matt 11:7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 11:8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft [clothing] are in kings' houses. 11:9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.”
John was “more than a prophet” he was the personal forerunner of the Messiah. He was the one to whom was given a most important task of all time, that of introducing the Messiah to the world!
Continuing with verse 13….
11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 11:14 And if ye will receive [it], this is Elias, which was for to come. 11:15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
So Jesus Himself said John the Baptist was Elijah.
Now did John the Baptist go along with this idea? Lets go to John 1:19.
John 1:19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 1:20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. 1:21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
So John the Baptist said he was not Elijah. Jesus said he was! Who was right? Lets turn to Luke 1:13 to find the answer.
Remember Zecharias who was married to Elizabeth. He was a priest in the temple and there one day an angel suddenly appeared with a special message.
Luke 1:13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 1:14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. 1:16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 1:17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, 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
So John the Baptist, as Jesus indicated, was the Elijah to come and the WAY he was the Elijah ...according to the angel... was in that he came in the same spirit and power of Elijah with the same basic message.
Before we move on lets take a moment and notice an interesting spiritual application concerning the birth of John the Baptist.
The birth of a son to Zacharias, like the birth of the child of Abraham, and that of Mary, was to teach a great spiritual truth, a truth that we are slow to learn and ready to forget. In ourselves we are incapable of doing any good thing; but that which we cannot do will be wrought by the power of God in every submissive and believing soul. It was through faith that the child of promise was given. It is through faith that spiritual life is begotten, and we are enabled to do the works of righteousness. {DA 98.3}
So whenever we think of the miracle birth of John the Baptist or the miracle birth of Isaac or, of course, the miracle birth of Jesus, we can think of the miracle God wants to perform in every one of our lives and take courage and allow faith to grow.
Jesus wants a rebirth miracle in every one of our lives.
In Matthew 17 Jesus told his disciples more about the promised Elias...
17:3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
…This is the experience of Jesus and his two disciples on the mount of transfiguration...
à 17:9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
17:10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
17:11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 17:12 But I say unto you, that Elias is come already, and they knew him not, …
So John the Baptist was Elijah in that he came in the same Spirit and power of Elijah with the same basic message...Which we will notice as we take a little longer look at John the Baptist....About whom Jesus said in
Matthew 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Jesus says it is true that Elijah will first come and restore all things before His kingdom is setup but he also says Elijah has come already.
So the Elijah message and messenger will also be present before his final kingdom is come!
What was John the Baptist’s mission? What was his message?
John the Baptist’s mission and message was to the church, the Jewish people – his people...to prepare them for the Lord. (We SDA’s tend to focus our message to the world’s people)
God’s people?...Not prepared?! One would think “God’s people” would be prepared!
The preparation for His kingdom was one of the heart…the message of Luke 3:4 was “…prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight”…and later in Luke 17:21 Jesus says “…the kingdom is within you.”
John the Baptist must have seen how the Jewish people lived and how they operated. He came to have a burden concerning his mission which was for his people – the church and Desire of Ages tells us ...
“He saw his people deceived, self-satisfied, and asleep in their sins. He longed to rouse them to a holier life. The message that God had given him to bear was designed to startle them from their lethargy, and cause them to tremble because of their great wickedness.” DA 103.5
John the Baptist is often portrayed as a shouting preacher – giving strong rebukes without apparent regard for stepping on people’s toes. But there was probably tears in his voice as he made his rebukes like we understand of his cousin Jesus later in His times of rebukes.
But there is a question and something here that is very interesting. In a day and age when we talk about love, forgiveness and acceptance...and everyone says “come on lets just have love forgiveness and acceptance... we’re supposed to allow that God would want to startle people concerning their sins??”
Many of us rebel at things like John the Baptist preached! Rebukes; Reproofs; Obedience; “You’ve got to obey”.
Too often no one includes instructions on how we can do it...you just gotta do it.
Then later on after taking a look at the Lamb of God you start to discover something very intriguing... Is it possible that even in our own SDA culture and in a world gone wrong that God will startle people to begin with?
This possibility looks more realistic when you read in DA the very interesting description ...
“Before the seed of the gospel could find lodgment, the soil of the heart must be broken up. Before they would seek healing from Jesus, they must be awakened to their danger from the wounds of sin.” {DA 103.5}
DA goes on to elaborate on this concept ...
“God does not send messengers to flatter the sinner. He delivers no message of peace to lull the unsanctified into fatal security. He lays heavy burdens upon the conscience of the wrongdoer, and pierces the soul with arrows of conviction. The ministering angels present to him the fearful judgments of God to deepen the sense of need, and prompt the cry, "What must I do to be saved?" Then the hand that has humbled in the dust, lifts up the penitent. The voice that has rebuked sin, and put to shame pride and ambition, inquires with tenderest sympathy, "What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?" {DA 104.1}
You mean as a gospel worker it may not be all wrong to follow this sequence?
That maybe in our own denomination’s history – that has been called itself the Elijah people – that there can be scathing rebukes to break the soil of the heart so that the gospel can then find lodgment?
So we may not want to necessarily discredit ALL those people .... like pastors, parents, teachers who were obsessed with the beast, the image, the mark, and our sins and obedience and the Law and rebukes and the reproofs and blood on the moon and the last warning message...
It would seem that we have to allow that God can be with people that we might say that they did it wrong and possibly lacked a full understanding of God’s love and His empowering grace and forgiveness to the uttermost.
So we see a pattern in our own time in history that also appeared in the days of John the Baptist. Lets look at his message.
What was his msg? First of all he preached “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” in Matt. 3:2.
Matt 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
The word “kingdom” implies a throne and in Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin. 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Two things “mercy” and “Grace” ... Interesting both halfs of the gospel - “obtain mercy” and “find grace” to empower our lives.
The kingdom of heaven includes this:
Coming to Jesus for mercy because of my past sin, my guilt and He washes it away in the fountain (like John the Baptist’s baptism) of Jesus’s blood. i.e. justification
And find grace to help in time of need. There is power in the blood – not just forgiveness. There is power to live too.
So whatever all John the Baptist understood or misunderstood about his message, the kingdom of heaven includes at least those two things.
Then the message included rebuke as we see in Luke 3:7 “Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? “
Would you go 20 miles out of Jerusalem down the hill to the Jordan river to be called a “snake”?
Pretty hard hitting isn’t it? Why did people respond to that kind of thing?
Apparently there was something bigger that was obvious in terms of the presence of the Holy Spirit for John the Baptist was filled with the Spirit of heaven from his birth.
There was warning. Notice the next verse 3:8 “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.”
John the Baptist was saying “don’t go thinking there is such a thing as righteousness by heredity. Nobody is going to slide into heaven by father or mother’s coat tails or we will not be saved just because we believe we know the truths of the Bible.
Would you go 20 miles to hear this?
Not only did he rebuke and warn but there was quite an emphasis on externals too reading on in Luke 3:10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? 3:11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.
3:12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?
3:13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
3:14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse [any] falsely; and be content with your wages.
Sounds like a pretty heavy works program doesn’t it? Why didn’t he tell them “Look find out about the righteousness of Jesus; why didn’t he talk about prayer and communion with God and Bible study?
He said “do this, do this do this” Would you warm up to that system?
Then he said in Matt 3:2 ... “ Repent” i.e be sorry for your sins...turn away from your sins.
And some have grown up with this message and have said “How do you do that?” “How do you do that?”
It does not help young people to tell them what to do without telling them how to do it.
Now it is very interesting that John the Baptist did not fully understand completely his own message. He was being driven by the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb and he did not completely understand his own message.
Consider some EGW comments in this regard –
“ When at the baptism of Jesus, John pointed to Him as the Lamb of God, a new light was shed upon the Messiah's work. The prophet's mind was directed to the words of Isaiah, "He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter." Isa. 53:7. During the weeks that followed, John with new interest studied the prophecies and the teaching of the sacrificial service. He did not distinguish clearly the two phases of Christ's work,--as a suffering sacrifice and a conquering king,--but he saw that coming had a deeper significance than priests or people had discerned.” DA 136
The prophet John was the connecting link between the two dispensations. As God's representative he stood forth to show the relation of the law and the prophets to the Christian dispensation. He was the lesser light, which was to be followed by a greater. The mind of John was illuminated by the Holy Spirit, that he might shed light upon his people; but no other light ever has shone or ever will shine so clearly upon fallen man as that which emanated from the teaching and example of Jesus. Christ and His mission had been but dimly understood as typified in the shadowy sacrifices. Even John had not fully comprehended the future, immortal life through the Saviour. {DA 220.2}
There is still another lesson for us in the experience of those Jewish converts. When they received baptism at the hand of John they did not fully comprehend the mission of Jesus as the Sin Bearer. They were holding serious errors. But with clearer light, they gladly accepted Christ as their Redeemer, and with this step of advance came a change in their obligations. As they received a purer faith, there was a corresponding change in their life. In token of this change, and as an acknowledgment of their faith in Christ, they were rebaptized in the name of Jesus. {AA 285.1}
So John did not fully understand the nature of the Messiah's kingdom. He looked for Israel to be delivered from her national foes; but the coming of a King in righteousness, and the establishment of Israel as a holy nation, was the great object of his hope.
So John the Baptist didn’t understand but he preached the best he knew how of what God gave him to preach and began to understand more and more.
What were the similarities of John the Baptist & Elijah?
John the Baptist came in spirit and power of Elijah. That’s why Jesus called him the Elijah that was to come.
John the Baptist made impassioned appeal for obedience to God.
The sacrifice was there for both. John said “behold the Lamb of God”. So there was Jesus the lamb, the sacrifice which would prove who was the true God.
Elijah warned against Baal worship. What is the problem of Baal worship?
“Judges 2:13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
“Baal worship is sun worship, and Ashtoreth / Ishtar / Astarte is the queen of heaven. …
From Web site http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/sunburst.htm
Baal worship is worship of something created and believing in it for salvation...like only God the creator can provide. Depending on a created something for salvation.
It can happen in many variations and indeed Baal worship took on many forms.
It can happen in our thinking when we think we can by our own works or goodness earn salvation.
If I think I can repent of my own self – that is Baal worship.
If I think I can obey by my own efforts – that is baal worship.
If I think I can overcome and become holy by my own efforts – that is baal worship.
Worshiping the created rather than the creator is baal worship.
John the Baptist was unlike Elijah:
John preached the advent of Christ ...this was not present truth in Elijah’s time.
John the Baptist introduced a new idea – extra Biblical – Baptism...new truth....where in the Old Testament scriptures was that?
He continued to preach for repentance.
He got after Herod for living with someone he shouldn’t.
He got put in prison
He must have prayed and prayed for deliverance.
He appeared to be ignored by Jesus.
He, John the Baptist, the greatest ever born, found himself in depression and despondency and even wondered if Jesus was the one they thought he was.
For those of you who have prayed and prayed and did not get any answers about some big thing in your life you can take a look at John the Baptist and take courage.
We can also relate to the hearers of these messages – When we consider our experiences.
Having sins of our life come up before us, it startles us as we recognize how far from perfect we are.
Then out of our conviction and our great need we see what Jesus has done and His offer of His righteousness and we see hope, we see His love and the escape from our sins.
Today may we all rejoice in this experience.