ELIJAH MUST FIRST COME “For, behold, the day cameth, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, Saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” Malachi 4:1 Messiyah shall come again to judge the world. All the ungodly with their ungodly deeds, lifestyles, conversations and thoughts shall be destroyed. The divine wrath of the Lord shall be upon them. They shall be cut off from the earth. The righteous shall reign and inherit the earth. All those that reject God’s commandments and law shall be destroyed forever. Read Joel 2:1-5. “But unto you that fear My Name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, Saith the LORD of hosts.” Malachi 4:2-3 All the wicked shall be ashes on that day. The righteous shall tread upon them. The wicked shall not be able to withstand nor stand the divine wrath of the LORD. All unrighteousness is sin. And sin is the transgression of the law. “Remember ye the law of Moses My servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.” Malachi 4:4 The Lord is commanding us to remember the Law of Moses which He commanded to him for all Israel in Horeb. Everyone that is born again into the Israel of God is commanded to keep the law and commandments of God in order to escape the coming wrath. The prophet Malachi is warning us by the Spirit of the Lord. To escape this coming day of the Lord we must remember the Law of Moses. “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Messiyah.” John 1:17 Read John 8:31-47. In addition to the law, we have grace and truth. True salvation should come from accepting all the three: Law, Grace & Truth. “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7 Before every judgment, God will send warnings through His prophets. Before God’s judgment upon the people of Nineveh, God sent Jonah to warn them. They repented and were saved from the judgment to come. This is God’s pattern. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.” Malachi 4:5 God determined His purpose to send the prophet Elijah before the dreadful day of the Lord. This is one prophet. He did not say He would send two or three Elijahs, but one special prophet. When this prophet was come God would confirm it. When Messiyah came God confirmed it by a voice from heaven and the message. This prophet was to carry a special message of restoration of all things. That was his ministry. “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.” Malachi 4:6 This prophet was to: (a) Turn the heart of the fathers to the children. (b) Turn the heart of the children to their fathers. Otherwise God was going to smite the earth with a curse. This prophet’s ministry was twofold as above to save us from being smitten by God’s curse. John the Baptist’s Ministry John the Baptist was the forerunner of the Lord YaHshua as foretold in Isaiah 40:3-5 and Malachi 3:1. He preached that Messiyah, mightier than him, would come after him. “But the angel said unto him, Fear not Zachariah: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 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. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to their God. 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.” Luke 1:13-17 This prophet was specifically to the children of Israel, even before Gentiles were incorporated into the church i.e. (a) God told the prophet Malachi that He would send the prophet Elijah to his people (Israel) according to Malachi 4:5. From the beginning God has been sending special prophets to His chosen people, Israel, up to the time of this special prophet to the Israelites before they rejected the Lord YaHshua Messiyah at the stoning of Stephen. (b) The angel to Zachariah confirmed that this prophet was to the children of Israel i.e. “…And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to their God.” Luke 1:16 John the Baptist was sent to the children of Israel because salvation was only of the Jews. This prophet was going to make ready a people prepared (many of the children of Israel shall he turn to their God) for the Lord by turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just. This was work of restoration. Through this prophet God was restoring to Himself His people (Israelites) that had turned away from Him through disobedience. The angel described the ministry of John the Baptist, who was to come before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elias, as follows: (a) Turn the heart of the fathers to the children. Luke 1:17 (b) Turn the heart of the disobedient (children) to the wisdom of the just (fathers). Luke 1:17 Description of the ministry of this prophet by Malachi and the angel to Zachariah is exactly the same. The heart of the disobedient children (to the law) was to be restored to the heart of the fathers that were obedient to the law. The Israelites went away from their God when they went away from the law. The law was given to the fathers through Moses (John 1:17) whereas grace and truth was received by the children (John 1:17) through the Lord YaHshua whose way was to be prepared by this prophet of restoration. The heart of disobedient children living in time of grace and truth were to be turned to the heart of fathers that received the law. Those that were having the fathers’ heart were to be turned to the heart of the children that has received grace and truth. This means unto the law must be added grace and truth. We must have the law, grace and truth today for true salvation before the great and terrible day of the Lord. This prophet pointed out that the Israelites had broken the Law of Moses and called them back to it. He also referred to the Lord YaHshua by whom truth and grace would come. The purpose was to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Luke 1:17b And many of the children of Israel would he turn to the Lord their God. This prophet was sent to the children of Israel because salvation belonged to the Jews. This prophet in Malachi was not to the Gentile church. “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.” John 4:22 John the Baptist was sent to the Jews. The prophet Jonah was sent to the people of Nineveh. John the Baptist fulfilled this whole prophecy of Malachi. “Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, all the region round about Jordan.” Matt 3:5 “These twelve YaHshua sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, Saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 10:5-7 Read Matt 10:15-18 & Daniel 9:24 (Acts 10:28). “And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” Acts 10:28 The prophet was not sent to the Gentiles and Samaritans but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He was to be a prophet of restoration to the house of Israel and to be a forerunner of the Lord YaHshua Messiyah. We see Paul at his conversion being commissioned to bear the Name of the Lord before: (a) Gentiles. (Acts 10:28) (b) Kings. (c) The children of Israel. Read Acts 9:15-16 Shortly after Paul’s conversion, Peter was shown a vision that Gentiles were included in the portion of salvation. Read Acts 10:11-28. “…the word of God came unto John the son of Zachariah in the wilderness. And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for remission of sins; 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. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth: And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Then said he to the multitudes that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Luke 3:2-7 The ministry of John the Baptist was going to yield the following: (a) Every valley shall be filled. The humble shall be uplifted. (b) Every mountain and hill shall be brought low. The proud shall be humble. (c) The crooked shall be made straight. (d) The rough ways shall be made smooth. And all flesh shall see the Salvation of the Lord. All that would believe and repent would be saved. This prophet himself, in the last part of Luke 3:7, referred to the wrath to come in the day of the Lord. Read Matthew 3:1-15. He was a prophet of restoration. He baptized the Lord YaHshua to fulfill all righteousness. After baptism, we see the Holy Ghost descending upon the Lord. Read Matthew 3:15. What YaHshua Messiyah Said About John “And His disciples asked Him, Saying, why then say the Scribes that Elias must first come? And YaHshua answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 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. Then the disciples understood that He spake unto them of John the Baptist.” Matt 17:10-13 Messiyah said the following about this prophet of restoration: (a) Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. (b) That Elias is come already. (i.e. no other Elias of Malachi we should expect.) (c) The Israelites to whom he was sent knew him not. Hence, they did unto him whatsoever they listed. If the Lord YaHshua had not come and died for our sins, no flesh was going to be reconciled to God. That is, no flesh was going to be restored. Now we see this special prophet preparing the paths of the Lord and baptizing the Lord. It was appointed in God’s divine timetable that YaHshua Messiyah was only going to come after John the Baptist, and that He was going to receive the Holy Ghost after being baptized by this prophet of restoration. All salvation and reconciliation is in the Lord YaHshua Messiyah. We receive forgiveness of sins and the Holy Ghost because Messiyah came. This prophet’s ministry of being a forerunner to the Lord YaHshua Messiyah was one of the most important among Old Testament prophets. It is restoration of all the Law and Commandments of God. People repented by turning to the Law of God. We are told in Malachi to remember the Law of God. “But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send My messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 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….. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if he will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 11:9-15 This was Messiyah’s testimony concerning John the Baptist: (a) He was a prophet and more than a prophet. (b) He was the one prophesied in Malachi 3:1 i.e. “Behold, I send My messenger before thy face.” (c) Among them born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist. (d) All the prophets and the law prophesied until John. (e) He was the Elias who was to come as prophesied in Malachi 4:5-6. The first church fell short of God’s standards of righteousness (the law and commandments). This prophet came to restore all things, where the first church had fallen from, by being a forerunner of the Lord and Savior YaHshua Messiyah. GOD’S MESSENGER TO THE PRESENT CHURCH Read Revelation 8:6-13, Revelation 9:1-11, 13-21, and Revelation 10:7-11; 11:15-18 about the seven angels blowing the 7 trumpets. These are God’s angel messengers working through God’s servants or human agents. An angel is one carrying a message. This messenger to the present or 7th church is the 7th angel working through human agents. The 7th church is the last church age. When the 7th angel blows the 7th trumpet, God’s warnings to the church will be complete. “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man….” Revelation 1:12-13 “And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two edged sword:….” Revelation 1:16 “The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in My right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: And the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” Revelation 1:20 We are in the seventh or last church age. Each of the seven churches has an angel sent from the right hand of the Son of man to it. Remember that an angel is a messenger or one carrying a message. Each angel to each of the seven churches represents God’s servants to that church age through whom the Spirit speaks to her (church). We are in the Laodicean church age. We must recognize the Lord’s servants sent to the present church age by the Son of man. “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;…” Revelation 3:14-21 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit Saith unto the Churches.” Revelation 3:22 Before the death of YaHshua Messiyah, starting from Noah, God has been sending a prophet to every generation or to the children of Israel only at a time. After the death and resurrection of YaHshua Messiyah, the Lord ordained that there be prophets in the body of Messiyah. “Wherefore He saith, When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men…. He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;” Ephesians 4:8-11 The reason Messiyah sends messengers is for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Messiyah: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God. Read Ephesians 4:12-13. The Bible says, he that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches. Now by the same Spirit there are diversities of gifts, operations and differences in administration. The present messenger today is any gifted and Spirit filled & led servant of the Lord in the body of Messiyah. All the seven stars are Spirit filled and led. Read I Corinthians 12:1-31 & Matthew 28:18-20. “But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: And ye shall be witnesses unto Me….” Acts 1:8 (Acts 2:1-4) Read Acts 10:39-43. The messenger or star to the seventh church is not one prophet, but God’s gifted servants in the body (church) of Messiyah. “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.” Daniel 12:3 The stars (servants of God) are those that turn many to righteousness. They shall shine as the brightness of the firmament (heaven). (Read Genesis 1:6-8) “Who is a faithful and wise servant, when his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom His Lord when He cometh shall find so doing….” Matthew 24:45-51 “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey….” Matthew 25:14-30 This is what Messiyah did when He ascended up and gave gifts unto men. All unprofitable servants shall be cast out into outer darkness if: (a) They do not use their gifts. (b) They refuse to be justified and sanctified for the holy work of the Lord. WE KNOW IN PART & WE PROPHESY IN PART “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.” I Corinthians 13:9 Today heathen churches garnish prophets’ tombs and worship them above God. Messiyah has ordained prophets whose ministry is needed in the whole body of Messiyah. The body of Messiyah has prophets and not one prophet. (Ephesians 4:8, 11-13) Believers have divided themselves according to a particular prophet they have chosen. Read I Corinthians 1:10-16. They consider all messages only to come from their chosen prophet. Well, their prophet might be a true prophet from God. The fact is that he only knows in part and prophesies in part. Many true prophets have erred in the end by going beyond their God given ministry or their proportion of faith in trying to prophesy in full and knowing in full. “Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are your’s; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Messiyah’s; and Messiyah is God’s.” I Corinthians 3:21-23 We know in part and hence, Messiyah prayed to His Father that we may be one. John 17:17-21 We know in part and yet we are so divided that the world is confused. God shall gather out His own together. Since each one knows in part, we are not supposed to be under a man but all together under Messiyah the Author and finisher of our faith. The church has only one head, and not many heads. All gifted servants are supposed to be in the body. Many are trying to come out of the body and try to replace Messiyah because of pride. Lucifer became Satan and the Devil through pride. The Son of God was a prophet that God would raise as unto Moses. All Israelites were to be led by one man, Moses. Hence, All Believers & Churches must be led out of the world into the promised paradise by the man, YaHshua Messiyah. No other man can replace the Lord. Vicars of the Son of God They know in part but they have replaced Messiyah. They are sitting in Moses’ chair. They like sitting in high places in the synagogues of the minds of God’s people. Examples of vicars of the Son of God: (a) Presidents of ministries. (Messiyah is our President) (b) President of a Church. (Messiyah is President of the Church) (c) Human Chief Apostle of a Church. (Messiyah is our Chief Apostle) (d) One man heading the Church. (Messiyah is the head of the Church) (e) One human prophet heading the present body of Messiyah. (God ordained prophets in the body) No one should be a vicar (or Lord over God’s people) for we are all brethren. We are all brethren in the body of Messiyah. This body has only one head, Messiyah. There is a danger in a gifted servant of the Lord in being tempted to head the church because of the mighty works of the Lord through him. Messiyah escaped all earthly appointments. It is wrong for one human prophet to head the present church. God ordained prophets in the body of Messiyah. Today we expect prophets to speak two or three, in order and the other judge. Just like there should be order and judgment for those that speak in tongues. (I Corinthians 14:27-28) so should this be for prophets. “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the Author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” I Corinthians 14:29-33 Today God will reveal His message to more than one prophet for confirmation. Let the prophets speak two or three, and the other judge. This is God’s order for the present church i.e. spirits must be tested. Read I John 4:1-3. Today if two prophets are called, they do not want to be together in the same body of Messiyah but each one will lead out a body of Believers to himself. This is not God’s divine order for today. Messiyah Himself prophesied the following: “Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and Scribes: and Some of them ye shall kill and crucify: and Some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city.” Matthew 23:34 Read Matthew 23:35-39. What Messiyah said about those that exalt themselves to head God’s church: (a) They sit in Moses’ chair. Moses was chosen to lead the Israelites out of Egypt into the Promised Land. Today our Moses is YaHshua Messiyah to lead us out of the world into the promised paradise. “Then spake YaHshua to the multitude, and to His disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.” Matthew 23:1-2 (b) They make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments. Matt 23:5 (c) They love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues. Matt 23:6 (d) And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. Matthew 23:7-8,10 Masters or Rabbis today are presidents, chief apostles, etc of churches. (e) They want to be called father in the church. Matthew 23:9 Those elders that are chosen as leaders in the congregation are supposed to be servants and not lords over God’s heritage. “…for one is your Master, even Messiyah; and all ye are brethren.” Matthew 23:8 “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased: and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” Matthew 23:11-12 What do we see today? Heads, Chiefs & Presidents of ministries and churches want to be served by the people. This is the world’s way. But God’s order is vice versa. They must be at the bottom of all the people and serve them. They must wash the people’s feet. Messiyah left us an example, for He washed His disciples’ feet. If the Lord of Glory did that Himself, then who are we to be lords over His people? They must lead by example. All of us are in the same body headed by YaHshua Messiyah as the only Lord over her. There is only one body and one head. Amen!
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 12:14:15 +0000
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