Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
Discussions about "Elijah the prophet" stir up questions. Who really is "Elijah"? As Jesus says in Matthew chapters 11 and 17, "the coming of Elijah the prophet" is a message. God's promise "I will send you Elijah the prophet" was fulfilled in the message of John the Baptist, which the Jews despised. Now what concerns us is that it's "before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord," before the end of the world (Mal. 4:5, 6).
What is "the Elijah message" for today? If you had lived in Jerusalem 2000 years ago wouldn't you have asked, "How can I recognize 'Elijah' when 'he' comes?" And now? There are some things we can know for sure:
(1) When the Lord "sends" a message, it is always "sent" in mercy to His people. He never sends one to hurt us. In fact, whatever message He sends, it's always in great mercy. This is because "God is love."
(2) When the Lord sends the "Elijah message," we can be sure it will be a precious message. In fact, knowing Him as we do, it will be, must be, a most precious one.
(3) Malachi gives us a clue when he says that Elijah's message will be one of reconciliation--fathers' hearts to children and (miracle of miracles!) children's hearts to parents (Mal. 4:6). "Elijah's" message "turns" hearts, changes hearts, heals alienation in hearts, melts hard hearts. That's possible when people kneel together at the cross.
(4) The same verse says that his message prepares fathers and children (that's all of God's people!) for the time when God's Holy Spirit will be withdrawn from the earth--the seven last plagues poured out (Rev. 16). Any message God sends that prepares His people for that time will certainly be "most precious"!
(5) Just as ancient Israel had an annual "day of atonement" in type, so we are today living in the great antitypical Day of Atonement--the cosmic "day" of ultimate, final heart reconciliations. Therefore "Elijah's message" will direct our attention to Christ as our High Priest "sending" a special final message of heart-union with Him.
"Watch," look, listen!
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: September 3, 2002.
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