The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Pamphlet #4425

Matthew 17:1  ķAnd after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
2  And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
3  And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
4  Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
5  While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
7  And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
8  And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.
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.
My Hi-lite:  Matthew 17:10  And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
11  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
12  But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
13  Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

So following the vision they saw of Moses and Elijah and Christ in His resurrected body, and in understanding that this was His first advent and not the "restoration of the kingdom", the disciples asked Jesus the following question concerning the scribes:

Matthew 17:10
And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
Of course the scribes didn't "get it" concerning the first advent. They still await messiah as king... and their messiah, their rock, shall soon come and not disappoint them.
[11] And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
Elijah the prophet shall come first, before the great and dreadful day of the LORD, and as we saw in the last two verses of Malachi 4, and he shall "turn the hearts of the children back to their fathers" which is to (come with me now) restore all things, as in restore the temple (Rev. 7:1-4 to prepare a people) that it may be made manifest on that great day!Malachi 4:5  Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:6  And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
You "see", had the people received Christ and not rejected the kingdom at His first advent, then the kingdom would have been "restored then" and so John the Baptist would have been accounted as Elijah who would come in the last days just before the restoration! Matthew 11:14 "And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come."
[12] But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
John the Baptist was not Elijah (he said so himself in Jn. 1:21) but rather as it was prophesied from birth concerning John, he would go before Him in the spirit and power of "Elijah the prophet". To that end, John was a forerunner of "His messengers" who would come in the spirit and power of Elijah in the last days. If you have studied the Minor Prophets (like Zechariah) and the great Book of Malachi ("My Messenger"), then you will understand that which is written concerning the ministry of John the Baptist. Here is what was written of John the Baptist's destiny from birth!
Luke 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.
The disciples then "got it" concerning John the Baptist! Yes, John was prophesied from birth to come in the spirit and power of Elijah... and so he did. But they rejected him and beheaded him.So too must Christ suffer as it was written of Him in Isa. 53 and Psalm 22.
[13] Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
And so it is in these last days, as it has been written and declared in His Word these thousands of years, Elijah the prophet shall be sent unto His messenger's in the last days just BEFORE the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD! Do you have "eyes to see" Christ and "ears to hear" His voice?

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.

This "American Wisdom Series" pamphlet

is.

Published by:

Rhine Publishing Co.
E-mail address:americanwisdomseries@verizon.net

If you would like to have your essay published
as part of the American Wisdom Series
submit your manuscript to Rhine Publishing Co
at the address above for consideration.

Click Here to Return to "The American Wisdom Series" home page.