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The Prophet Elijah

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 31, 1872

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 41, No. 3.

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The Prophet Elijah.

By P. L. H.

A CORRESPONDENT writes, “Please harmonize Matt. 17: 12, 13, with John’s gospel, chap. 1: 21.”
The passages referred to read as follows:
“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: 12, 13. “And they asked him [John the Baptist], What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.” John 1: 21.
The conflicting idea in these two passages is very evident; for Christ says that “Elias had already come,” and “the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist,” while the language of John the Baptist himself plainly denied that he was Elias.
The Jews understood, from a prophecy in Malachi 4: 5, that Elijah was to come personally before the Messiah should appear. They expected he was literally to come from Heaven. It was in this sense that John denied that he was Elijah; but that he was the prophet prophesied of, he did not deny; for he said immediately after, in the twenty-third verse, that he was the one sent to prepare the way for the Lord.
In regard to the prediction concerning Elijah by the prophet Malachi, Albert Barnes says: “By this was evidently meant, not that he should appear in person, but that one should appear with a striking resemblance to him; or, as Luke expresses it, ‘in the spirit and power of Elijah.’” Luke 1: 17.
The work which Elijah was to do before the coming of the Messiah was to “restore all things” and prepare the way for his advent. He was to be the instrument of bringing about a reformation among the people, and correcting in some degree their false idea of the Messiah, thus preparing the way for his coming.
Just such a work John accomplished. Before his coming, the people held erroneous views in regard to the advent, and were very worldly in their objects and expectations. He wrought a great reformation among the people, corrected their false ideas in some measure, preparatory to their reception of the Messiah.
In thus doing this work in the spirit and power of Elijah at the time predicted, John the Baptist fulfilled the prophecy, and was the Elias that was to come, as Christ declared, although he was not Elijah himself, as he properly denied. P. L. H.
Battle Creek.