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Lesson 21 - Elijah ReturnsIntroduction: We are now beginning our third step to eternal life-finding and joining God's true church, the body of Christ (Col. 1:24). Let us begin by studying a fascinating prophecy about how Elijah is going to return to earth! 1. By what name did Jesus refer to John the Baptist? Matt. 11:13-15 [The Further-study verses are Mal. 3:1; Matt. 17:11-13] (Matthew 11:13-15 NKJV) "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. {14} "And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. {15} "He who has ears to hear, let him hear! 2. Was John the Baptist really Elijah? John 1:19-21 [1 Cor. 15:45] (John 1:19-21 NKJV) Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" {20} He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." {21} And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." 3. If John the Baptist was not really Elijah, why was he given that title? Luke 1:17 [Matt. 3:1-3] (Luke 1:17 NKJV) "He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, '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." 4. Does the work of some messengers from the Lord include more than the word "prophet" signifies? Luke 7:26-28 [1 Cor. 12:28] (Luke 7:26-28 NKJV) "But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. {27} "This is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.' {28} "For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." 5. Elijah, like John the Baptist, did not write a book of the Bible. He was a "reformation" prophet, sent to bring the people back to the true worship of God. What was Elijah's message? 1 Kings 18:21 [Isa. 58:1] (1 Kings 18:21 NKJV) And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people answered him not a word. 6. What had Israel forsaken that demanded a reformation? 1 Kings 18:18 [Neh. 9:13-16; 13:17, 18; Dan. 9:10, 11] (1 Kings 18:18 NKJV) And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals. 7. With the Christian world trampling on God's Sabbath and forsaking His commandments, as Israel was doing in Elijah's day, will God again send another trumpetlike message calling upon people to choose between God and the Beast, as Elijah called Israel to choose between God and Baal? Rev. 14:6-12 [Rev. 18:1-5] (Revelation 14:6-12 NKJV) Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth; to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people; {7} saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water." {8} And another angel followed, saying, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." {9} Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, {10} "he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. {11} "And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." {12} Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. 8. Will God send another "Elijah-prophet" to go along with this "Elijah" message of Revelation 14? Mal. 4:5 (Malachi 4:5 NKJV) Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. [Note: Though John the Baptist partially fulfilled this prophecy, the "great and dreadful day of the Lord" is specifically Jesus' second coming, and finds its major fulfillment then. Another messenger of the Lord will come to do two things: (1) To prepare God's people to give His final message to the world, and (2) to help them be ready for His second coming, as John the Baptist prepared a people for Jesus' first coming. Rev. 6:17] 9. How long has God promised to continue sending prophets to His people? Eph. 4:11-13 (Ephesians 4:11-13 NKJV) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, {12} for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, {13} till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; [Note: We have not yet come to "the fullness of Christ." That is yet in the future (1 John 3:2; Rev. 3:21; 14:1, 12; 19:7, 8; 22:11, 12; 2 Peter 3:14). John 16:12, 13] 10. Jesus warned against false prophets, but did He say there would be no more prophets of any kind? Matt. 7:15-17, 20 (Matthew 7:15-17 NKJV) "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. {16} "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? {17} "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. (Matthew 7:20 NKJV) "Therefore by their fruits you will know them. [Note: Why would Jesus tell us to test the prophets, instead of reject them, if there were not to be any more true prophets? 1 John 4:1] 11. What test does the Bible give to help us differentiate between true and false prophets? Isa. 8:20 [Heb. 13:8; James 1:17; Mal. 3:6] (Isaiah 8:20 NKJV) To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. 12. While the Bible warns against accepting false prophets, it also warns against rejecting true prophets. What warning does Paul give about quenching the Spirit? 1 Thess. 5:19-21 (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 NKJV) Do not quench the Spirit. {20} Do not despise prophecies. {21} Test all things; hold fast what is good. [Note: After testing a prophet we are to hold fast to the good (for Satan always tries to discredit God's messengers and cause us to lose faith in them). Let us not sin against, and quench, the Holy Spirit by despising prophecies. 2 Peter 1:21; 2 Chron. 20:20; Matt. 10:40, 41] 13. Though but few accepted them, God sent reformationprophets to prepare a people for the flood, to save the northern kingdom of Israel, and to prepare for Jesus' first coming. He has promised to do so again before Jesus' second coming. God's unchanging truth is revealed in the Bible, but He loves us too much to leave anything undone to save us, and so He has promised to again communicate with us directly. What has God promised not to do? Amos 3:7 [Hosea 12:13] (Amos 3:7 NKJV) Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. 14. How does God reveal His secrets to His prophets? Num. 12:6 [2 Peter 1:21; Gen. 46:2; Num. 24:15, 16; Isa. 1:1; Eze. 1:1; Dan. 10:7-9; Hosea 12:10; Joel 2:28, 29; Acts 16:9, 10; 18:9; Rev. 9:17] (Numbers 12:6 NKJV) Then He said, "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. 15. Who only will recognize Jesus' voice when He speaks through someone He has called to be His messenger? John 10:27 [John 7:17; 8:31, 32; 14:16-18] (John 10:27 NKJV) "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. Commitment: Will you determine, by God's help, to walk so close to Jesus that you will be able to recognize, and be willing to accept, the voice of a messenger from Him-even a prophetic messenger?
Further Study VersesQuestion 1 - Further Study (Malachi 3:1 NKJV) "Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," Says the LORD of hosts. (Matthew 17:11-13 NKJV) Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. {12} "But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands." {13} Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist. -->Back to Study Question 2 - Further Study (1 Corinthians 15:45 NKJV) And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. -->Back to Study Question 3 - Further Study (Matthew 3:1-3 NKJV) In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, {2} and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" {3} For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.'" -->Back to Study Question 4 - Further Study (1 Corinthians 12:28 NKJV) And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. -->Back to Study Question 5 - Further Study (Isaiah 58:1 NKJV) "Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins. -->Back to Study Question 6 - Further Study (Nehemiah 9:13-16 NKJV) "You came down also on Mount Sinai, And spoke with them from heaven, And gave them just ordinances and true laws, Good statutes and commandments. {14} You made known to them Your holy Sabbath, And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws, By the hand of Moses Your servant. {15} You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger, And brought them water out of the rock for their thirst, And told them to go in to possess the land Which You had sworn to give them. {16} "But they and our fathers acted proudly, Hardened their necks, And did not heed Your commandments. (Nehemiah 13:17-18 NKJV) Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, "What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? {18} "Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath." (Daniel 9:10-11 NKJV) "We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. {11} "Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. -->Back to Study Question 7 - Further Study (Revelation 18:1-5 NKJV) After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. {2} And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! {3} "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury." {4} And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. {5} "For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. -->Back to Study Question 8 - Further Study (Revelation 6:17 NKJV) "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" -->Back to Study Question 9 - Further Study (1 John 3:2 NKJV) Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. (Revelation 3:21 NKJV) "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. (Revelation 14:1 NKJV) Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. (Revelation 14:12 NKJV) Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 19:7-8 NKJV) "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." {8} And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (Revelation 22:11-12 NKJV) "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still." {12} "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. (2 Peter 3:14 NKJV) Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; (John 16:12-13 NKJV) "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. {13} "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. -->Back to Study Question 10 - Further Study (1 John 4:1 NKJV) Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. -->Back to Study Question 11 - Further Study (Hebrews 13:8 NKJV) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (James 1:17 NKJV) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (Malachi 3:6 NKJV) "For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. -->Back to Study Question 12 - Further Study (2 Peter 1:21 NKJV) for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Chronicles 20:20 NKJV) So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper." (Matthew 10:40-41 NKJV) "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. {41} "He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. -->Back to Study Question 13 - Further Study (Hosea 12:13 NKJV) By a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, And by a prophet he was preserved. -->Back to Study Question 14 - Further Study (2 Peter 1:21 NKJV) for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (Genesis 46:2 NKJV) Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, "Jacob, Jacob!" And he said, "Here I am." (Numbers 24:15-16 NKJV) So he took up his oracle and said: "The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor, And the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened; {16} The utterance of him who hears the words of God, And has the knowledge of the Most High, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Who falls down, with eyes wide open: (Isaiah 1:1 NKJV) The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. (Ezekiel 1:1 NKJV) Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. (Daniel 10:7-9 NKJV) And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. {8} Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. {9} Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. (Hosea 12:10 NKJV) I have also spoken by the prophets, And have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets." (Joel 2:28-29 NKJV) "And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. {29} And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. (Acts 16:9-10 NKJV) And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." {10} Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 18:9 NKJV) Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; (Revelation 9:17 NKJV) And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. -->Back to Study Question 15 - Further Study (John 7:17 NKJV) "If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. (John 8:31-32 NKJV) Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. {32} "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 14:16-18 NKJV) "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever; {17} "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. {18} "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. -->Back to Study
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