Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
God promises to send Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day of the Lord, to turn the hearts of parents to children and children to parents so the earth will not be struck with a curse. This promise was first fulfilled in John the Baptist, who came in Elijah's spirit and power to announce Christ's first advent, prepare a people for the Lord, and turn them back to God. John denied that he was the literal Elijah, calling himself the voice in the wilderness preparing the Lord's way. John also represents those in the last days who go in the same spirit and power to herald the day of wrath and prepare the way for Christ's second advent. That day of God is imminent, right upon us and just being entered, revealing who truly serves God and demanding serious thought.
Elijah Promise Fulfilled
God will send Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. That sending is joined to turning the hearts of parents toward children and of children toward parents, so that the earth will not be struck with a curse.
It was first fulfilled in John the Baptist, who came in Elijah's spirit and power to announce Jesus' first advent. He was sent to prepare a people for the Lord, to turn them back to God, to reconcile parents and children, and to turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the just. When asked if he was Elias, John answered that he was not the literal Elias. He identified himself instead as the voice in the wilderness preparing the Lord's way, as Isaiah prophesied. The Jews' separate question about "that prophet" referred to Moses, whom they thought might be raised from the dead.
The disciples believed Elijah's appearance with Moses at the transfiguration fulfilled the prophecy. They took his presence with Jesus as a sign that Christ's earthly kingdom was about to be established. They misunderstood, for the vision did not mean Jesus would avoid the suffering and death in Jerusalem He had foretold.
John also represents those in the last days who go in the same spirit and power of Elijah to herald the day of wrath and Christ's second advent. As John prepared the way for Christ's first coming, faithful messengers now prepare the way for Christ's second coming. Elijahs are therefore called for now to prepare His way before the second coming.
Great Day Approaches
Malachi 4:5 belongs to a warning that calls for serious thought about the coming day of God and the distinction it reveals between those who serve God and those who do not. That day is imminent and right upon us. It was just being entered, and the greatest and most important work is the preparation of a people to stand in that day by winning souls to Christ. That work demands good courage, distinctly spiritual effort, devotion of God-given capabilities, resting in God, walking humbly with Him, much of the rich grace of the Saviour, and a deep, settled conviction to prepare for the events of the future that will soon come with blinding force.
Before that great and dreadful day the world converts the church so that both are in harmony and act on a short-sighted policy. Protestants work upon the rulers of the land to make laws to restore the lost ascendancy of the man of sin who sits in the temple of God showing himself that he is God, and Roman Catholic principles are taken under the care and protection of the state. This national apostasy is speedily followed by national ruin. The protest of Bible truth is no longer tolerated by those who have not made the law of God their rule of action. Then the voice is heard from the graves of martyrs, and the prayer ascends from every true child of God for the Lord to work because they have made void His law.
Preparing People Today
The promise of Elijah before the great day means faithful messengers prepare the way for the second coming as John the Baptist in Elijah's spirit prepared for the first, stirring the public mind and calling for reform. Like John they call to repentance and warn to prepare, and their preaching exposes the true character of the churches, leads many to repent, and joins in proclaiming the hour of God's judgment. They are sent at the right time to give earnest warnings and reprove sin, and their messages arouse opposition and break hardened hearts while exposing and consuming what is evil.
Its reform turns people from idolatry, gluttony, and extravagance, and requires temperance in all things, with health reform as part of preparing a people for the great day of God. John fulfilled the pattern before the first advent by coming in Elijah's spirit and power to prepare the way and turn people to the wisdom of the just, and those entrusted with sacred truths in the last days to prepare the way for the second appearing follow the temperate principles he practiced. His reforming mission required self-control and an abstemious life with temperate habits and plain dress, which gave the physical, mental, and moral strength needed for his work and rebuked indulgence and extravagance. Those who now warn the world of the coming of the Son of man must observe the same principles John practiced, and disregarding this light through harmful indulgence weakens spiritual and physical life and undermines the message.
The work is done with the Word of God in hand and the Spirit in heart, speaking words of warning and entreaty while pleading with God in earnest supplication, in deepest humiliation as lowly instruments whom alone God can use. With prayerful earnestness its workers dig in the mines of truth to discover the precious ore, with Christlike perseverance that does not fail or become discouraged, sinking self out of sight in Jesus. They make crooked things straight, tearing down some things and building up others and resetting old treasures in a framework of truth, preaching God's living Word rather than opinions, lifting up Christ and calling sinners to repentance. They practice the graces of Christ and pursue a straightforward course, breaking down skepticism and urging personal responsibility to be kind and courteous, to do good, and to win souls to Jesus. They carry truth beyond established centers to places where it has not yet been proclaimed, and this winning of souls demands good courage, distinctly spiritual effort, devotion of God-given capabilities, rest in God, humble walk, rich grace, and settled conviction for events soon to come with blinding force.
Its goal is to help prepare a people to stand in the great day when the Lord comes to punish the world for its iniquity. The warnings in Volume IV serve that preparation for the coming day of the Lord. The promise frames the hope that families will work together in it, as Willie, Father, Edson, and Mother in that preparation for the day of God.
God promises to send Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day of the Lord, to turn the hearts of parents to children and children to parents so the earth will not be struck with a curse. This promise was first fulfilled in John the Baptist, who came in Elijah's spirit and power to announce Christ's first advent, prepare a people for the Lord, and turn them back to God. John denied that he was the literal Elijah, calling himself the voice in the wilderness preparing the Lord's way. John also represents those in the last days who go in the same spirit and power to herald the day of wrath and prepare the way for Christ's second advent. That day of God is imminent, right upon us and just being entered, revealing who truly serves God and demanding serious thought.
Elijah Promise Fulfilled
God will send Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. That sending is joined to turning the hearts of parents toward children and of children toward parents, so that the earth will not be struck with a curse.
It was first fulfilled in John the Baptist, who came in Elijah's spirit and power to announce Jesus' first advent. He was sent to prepare a people for the Lord, to turn them back to God, to reconcile parents and children, and to turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the just. When asked if he was Elias, John answered that he was not the literal Elias. He identified himself instead as the voice in the wilderness preparing the Lord's way, as Isaiah prophesied. The Jews' separate question about "that prophet" referred to Moses, whom they thought might be raised from the dead.
The disciples believed Elijah's appearance with Moses at the transfiguration fulfilled the prophecy. They took his presence with Jesus as a sign that Christ's earthly kingdom was about to be established. They misunderstood, for the vision did not mean Jesus would avoid the suffering and death in Jerusalem He had foretold.
John also represents those in the last days who go in the same spirit and power of Elijah to herald the day of wrath and Christ's second advent. As John prepared the way for Christ's first coming, faithful messengers now prepare the way for Christ's second coming. Elijahs are therefore called for now to prepare His way before the second coming.
Great Day Approaches
Malachi 4:5 belongs to a warning that calls for serious thought about the coming day of God and the distinction it reveals between those who serve God and those who do not. That day is imminent and right upon us. It was just being entered, and the greatest and most important work is the preparation of a people to stand in that day by winning souls to Christ. That work demands good courage, distinctly spiritual effort, devotion of God-given capabilities, resting in God, walking humbly with Him, much of the rich grace of the Saviour, and a deep, settled conviction to prepare for the events of the future that will soon come with blinding force.
Before that great and dreadful day the world converts the church so that both are in harmony and act on a short-sighted policy. Protestants work upon the rulers of the land to make laws to restore the lost ascendancy of the man of sin who sits in the temple of God showing himself that he is God, and Roman Catholic principles are taken under the care and protection of the state. This national apostasy is speedily followed by national ruin. The protest of Bible truth is no longer tolerated by those who have not made the law of God their rule of action. Then the voice is heard from the graves of martyrs, and the prayer ascends from every true child of God for the Lord to work because they have made void His law.
Preparing People Today
The promise of Elijah before the great day means faithful messengers prepare the way for the second coming as John the Baptist in Elijah's spirit prepared for the first, stirring the public mind and calling for reform. Like John they call to repentance and warn to prepare, and their preaching exposes the true character of the churches, leads many to repent, and joins in proclaiming the hour of God's judgment. They are sent at the right time to give earnest warnings and reprove sin, and their messages arouse opposition and break hardened hearts while exposing and consuming what is evil.
Its reform turns people from idolatry, gluttony, and extravagance, and requires temperance in all things, with health reform as part of preparing a people for the great day of God. John fulfilled the pattern before the first advent by coming in Elijah's spirit and power to prepare the way and turn people to the wisdom of the just, and those entrusted with sacred truths in the last days to prepare the way for the second appearing follow the temperate principles he practiced. His reforming mission required self-control and an abstemious life with temperate habits and plain dress, which gave the physical, mental, and moral strength needed for his work and rebuked indulgence and extravagance. Those who now warn the world of the coming of the Son of man must observe the same principles John practiced, and disregarding this light through harmful indulgence weakens spiritual and physical life and undermines the message.
The work is done with the Word of God in hand and the Spirit in heart, speaking words of warning and entreaty while pleading with God in earnest supplication, in deepest humiliation as lowly instruments whom alone God can use. With prayerful earnestness its workers dig in the mines of truth to discover the precious ore, with Christlike perseverance that does not fail or become discouraged, sinking self out of sight in Jesus. They make crooked things straight, tearing down some things and building up others and resetting old treasures in a framework of truth, preaching God's living Word rather than opinions, lifting up Christ and calling sinners to repentance. They practice the graces of Christ and pursue a straightforward course, breaking down skepticism and urging personal responsibility to be kind and courteous, to do good, and to win souls to Jesus. They carry truth beyond established centers to places where it has not yet been proclaimed, and this winning of souls demands good courage, distinctly spiritual effort, devotion of God-given capabilities, rest in God, humble walk, rich grace, and settled conviction for events soon to come with blinding force.
Its goal is to help prepare a people to stand in the great day when the Lord comes to punish the world for its iniquity. The warnings in Volume IV serve that preparation for the coming day of the Lord. The promise frames the hope that families will work together in it, as Willie, Father, Edson, and Mother in that preparation for the day of God.