As
a bystander to much of the prophecy-mongering that floods the internet, I often
feel like a little child who wonders what in the world is going on, and feels
confident that my Father is working out everything according to his will, just
as he clearly revealed in the first coming of Jesus the Christ.
There
are many times when I hear some precise interpretation of prophecy and marvel
at how these people managed to get themselves into something that is not
clearly stated in Scripture. I often wonder why it is so important to to pin
things down in advance, when there are many exhortations to have the mindset
that it is not ours to know such things.[1]
This
morning, while reading the context of another Scripture that had grabbed my
attention, I was blessed with this little interruption (likely no interruption
at all in the divine teacher’s plan). The interruption was found in this
revelation: “For all the Prophets and the
Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah
who is to come.”[2]
What
stood out to me was the way the prophet Malachi had spoken very specifically of
the reappearance of Elijah in the latter days.[3]
Reading or hearing those prophecies would lead to the natural conclusion that
Elijah would appear, and that the clear revelation of Elijah the prophet would
enable everyone to know that the person Elijah pointed to was the promised
Messiah of God.
However,
the fulfillment of this prophecy was not the reappearance of Elijah the
prophet, but the appearance of John the Baptist. When Zechariah heard the good
news that his prayer for a child would be answered, the angel told him, “he will go before him in the spirit and
power of Elijah.”[4]
God’s angel was speaking to a man who knew that God had
been silent since speaking through Malachi about the one who would prepare the
way for the Lord. Zechariah knew that he was to expect the appearance of Elijah
at some point in history. What he never would have guessed was that, when God
answered his prayer for a child, that his own child would be the fulfillment of
that prophecy.
This application of the Elijah-prophecy to John the Baptist
was expressed in another way as well:
And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes
say that first Elijah must come?” He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will
restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did
not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man
will certainly suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he
was speaking to them of John the Baptist.[5]
The
simple point for me was to remind myself that prophecies may sound so precise
as telling people to expect Elijah to reappear, and yet can be fulfilled in ways
quite otherwise than expected. It makes me wonder how many other times this
takes place. How often are people side-tracked from this characteristic of God’s
ways so that they are looking for a literal Elijah, instead of watching and
listening for God’s presentation of prophetic fulfillment.
When
I consider how no one ever used Old Testament prophecy to get them in the right
place at the right time for anything to do with the first coming of Jesus Christ,
I wonder why we are so determined to figure out ahead of time all these
prophecies regarding the second coming of Christ.
As
I see it, we are supposed to be about the work of the kingdom of heaven while
leaving all the issues of times and seasons in our Father’s hands. One reason
for so many prophecies and fulfillments already flooding the Scriptures is not
so that we will try to figure out the unfulfilled prophecies ahead of time, but
will let the fulfilled prophecies assure us that all the remaining prophetic
promises will be fulfilled in the same way.
Even
if that means Jesus has to tell us that John the Baptist is Elijah. Who would
have thought?
© 2014 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~
in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the
English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright ©
2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)
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