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The “Elijah Message”

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 7, 1903

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 80, No. 14.

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The “Elijah Message”

By William Knight

WILLIAM KNIGHT
VOICES are heard to-day proclaiming that Elijah has come to earth again. By their respective followers, he is said to be incarnate in one or another who is commissioned to announce the closing days of earth’s history as now being upon us, and themselves as living signs indicative of that fact.
The matter is one of the greatest interest, and should claim some attention, more particularly because the Scriptures warrant an expectation to hear the “Elijah message.” The promise as given through the prophet Malachi reads: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.”
As a preliminary to whatever God in his providence would do on behalf of the Jewish people, to effect their deliverance and restoration to independence, they counted on the reappearance of his prophet to prepare the way to bring this about. The disciples’ rejoinder to Christ, “Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?” expressed the common feeling. In his reply, Jesus declared, “This is Elias, which was for to come.”
Unlike the aspirants for the position to-day, it is significant to note that neither Elijah nor John were conscious of any supreme distinction ministering to personal pride. The humility of the men, their absorption in the message they gave, to the exclusion of all else, call for special note.
We meet Elijah for the first time when he dared to announce, “As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” This declaration was made as a protest against the apostasy of both king and people.
To his questioners John disclaimed his right to be called Elijah, simply asserting, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord.” After giving his message, Elijah seeks refuge in hiding; and John, for his temerity, finds himself in prison. In each case an alarming suddenness is characteristic of the message, combined with a brief period of personal manifestation to the public view. In both, the circumstances were extremely critical. Elijah arose to stem the tide of Israel’s adoption of heathen sun-worship, while John came upon the scene when in the most glaring way the traditions of men were made to supersede the commandments of God.
Prior to the “great and dreadful day of the Lord” we are encouraged to expect a world-wide announcement of its near approach; but will it be by a reappearance of the Elijah of old? or will the voice of John the Baptist be again heard in our streets? Speaking of the latter, and referring to his work of turning the hearts of the people to the Lord their God, the angel Gabriel declared to Zacharias, “He shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias.” This we understand to be the divine comment and interpretation of Malachi’s promise.
Ere the impending crisis, the messengers of God, with the spirit and power of Elijah, will be heard calling a halt. The claims of God for worship and obedience, as opposed to all other rivals, will be advocated. The thought is a solemn one, even now the fullness of the time has come, and the “Elijah message” is due to the world.