The Appearance of Elijah

This paper will attempt to keep a distinctively Jewish flavor in its perspective.

Introductory

In Luke 3:2-3, we are told that "the Word of God came unto John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness; and he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." The specific message which he preached to Israel -- which Luke wishes to emphasize in his gospel -- is based upon an excerpt from the book of the words of Isaiah, the prophet. Luke quotes this saying of Isaiah: "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 made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

Luke also places emphasis on the place of John's ministry. The place was "in the wilderness; and he came into all the country about Jordan..."

The specific items of John's preaching are listed in the verses, 7-17.

• Warning to flee from "the wrath to come."
• Produce "good fruit," else..,
• Unproductive "trees" shall be "hewn down and cast into the fire."
• Clothe him that has no coat.
• Feed him that has no food.
• Take nothing beyond the legal limit.
• Do violence to no man.
• Neither falsely accuse anyone.
• Be content with your wages.
• Warning of the coming of the One Mightier than he...
• And, "many other things in his exhortation..."

These items are all points of the Law and the Prophets...

John came as a type of Elijah, of whom Malachi wrote, by the Word of God, "Behold I will send you Elijah, the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD; 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 Land with a curse."

When examined by the Pharisees concerning his credentials, John denied that he was Elijah, and denied that he was "the prophet." He affirmed that he was only "a voice of one, crying in the wilderness," (note my inflection on this reading!) while at the same time saying that he was a forerunner for another man more important to the nation than he.

The appearance from God of a bono fide prophet to Israel should not be under-rated by anyone! Certainly not by Christadelphians who set such great store upon the "pioneers" and their "work..." Christadelphians, as a matter of fact, are put to shame in many areas where other Christian people are not. So, the appearance of a bono fide prophet to Israel in "the last days" should not be under-rated, or even doubted. We ought also to expect that Elijah, the prophet, should appear in about the same area of the land as did John, "in the wilderness," and in "all the country about Jordan."

So note that in Mark's introduction to his gospel, that he wrote, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the son of God, as it has been written by the prophets, 'Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way," quoting Malachi 1:1, and then Mark adds, "The voice of one [him] crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make His paths straight,'" which is the quote solely from Isaiah 40:3.

Mark's words may then be compared with John 1:23, where the text reads, concerning the witness of John, the Baptist: "He said, 'I am (a) voice crying in the wilderness, "Make straight the way of the LORD," as said Isaiah, the prophet'."

Each gospel writer addressed a different aspect of the words of the prophets, and quite likely, from their own personal knowledge of the "many other things" which John the Baptizer also preached, they incorporated this knowledge in their writings about the Christ.

The Wilderness

The most dramatic events of Israel's past national history took place - quite literally - "in the wilderness." One of the chief reasons for which God had chosen the land of Canaan to give to his people was that it was a "wilderness," a land of pastures, a farm land fit for producing milk and honey! The concept that many have of the land that it is a sterile, dry, yet an IMPENETRABLE jungle-like habitat is most erroneous. During the time of the land's desolation God had hidden its springs, withheld its rains, and not allowed the nations to desire it for possession. Today that situation has changed. The land has again become comparable to the time when Moses sent out the twelve spies, once more producing "milk and honey" to the great envy of the surrounding nations today.

References to "the wilderness" are found under the Hebrew, midbar, and the Greek, ereemos. Neither word is used in a figurative or "symbolic" sense in the Old or New Testament, -- which makes it rather difficult to understand why the word is so handled, where it is found in the three lone references in the book of The Revelation.

What, then, means "the wilderness" in the context of Isaiah and John's preaching of the coming "great and dreadful" day of the LORD?

The Crying...

Within the context of the above citations, the "crying" of the prophets has some interesting connections. In today's society such crying is regarded as mere whining and trouble-making by out-spoken persons who ought to be minding their own business, and not disturbing the peace of their more sensible contemporaries. Elijah, himself, did a bit of crying, per his record in 1 Kings, as did John, the Baptist. My favorite reference to such crying is Paul's quote in Ephesians 4:26-28, where he says, "For the [new] Jerusalem above which is our mother is free, because it has been written, Rejoice, barren (one) who bears not; break forth and cry, who travails not, because many more are the children of the desolate than of her that had the husband... For we, brethren, like Isaac, are the children of the promise!" Zion's sons...

There is more to be said here about the crying in the wilderness, for as the above texts from the Gospels seem to indicate, the appearance of the LORD may be expected when Elijah appears. Great and dreadful events are prophesied of that time, when "the children" and "their fathers" become of one mind.

The History

In Ezekiel 20, we find the LORD's denunciation of Israel, His regard for His name, and His statement of the condition required of the people before He will again accept them into a new covenant relationship.

First, let's look at Ezekiel 19 a bit, from verses 10-14:

• "10. Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters. She was fruitful and full of branches by reason of strong waters.
• 11. And she had strong rods for the scepters of them that bore rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.
• 12. But she was plucked up in fury. She was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit. Her strong rods were broken and withered. The fire consumed them.
• 13. And now she is planted in the wilderness in a dry and thirsty ground.
• 14. And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which has devoured her fruit; so that she has no strong rod to be a scepter to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation."

This lamentation of the LORD is a parable concerning the princes of Israel. The lament remains effective today.

Returning to Ezekiel 20, we find that the prophecy makes ten (10) references to "the wilderness." But at verse 32, the tone of the Word of God changes, for there He says: "...That which comes into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone." I.e., The people are not free - not at liberty to choose their own manner of worship. This licentious behavior of the people will be corrected... It is a matter which the present nation of Israel is just beginning to face again. Since 1947 -- when the United Nations recognized Israel as a political state -- the "controversy of Zion" has actively resumed among the nations of the land.

The Judgment

The rulership of the city of Jerusalem has been going on in earnest since the Six Day war of 1967. But what does Ezekiel's prophecy say about the rulership and the manner in which it is to come about? The text of Ezekiel 20:33-49 responds to the questions. However, the unbelieving people say concerning the Word, "Does He not speak parables?" Of course, God is not speaking riddles to the people. He is telling them the truth - which the people are unprepared to accept as the Word of God. This mood prevails even today among those who say that they are "the people of God."

Points made in the verses of 20:33-49:

• God will rule over the people with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.
• He will bring out and gather the peoples from all the countries where they are scattered - with the same mighty hand and an outstretched arm.
• The gathering and bring out of the peoples will be accompanied with a poured out fury.
• He will bring them into the wilderness of the peoples.

• Whether this phrase should be interpreted as a proper name - the Wilderness of Ammim - as a location is open to question. The ancient region of Ammon seems to be indicated by other O.T. references.
• He will enter into judgment with them there - face-to-face - in the same manner as their fathers were judged in the wilderness of the land of Egypt.
• He will cause them to pass under the rod of discipline.
• He will bring them into the covenant.
• He will purge out the rebels and the transgressors from among them.
• He will bring those ungodly out of the countries in which they lived, but they will not be permitted to enter into the land of Israel.

The above are the points made from verses 33-38.

In verse 39, the LORD releases the people with His warning, "Go, serve everyone his idols, and hereafter..."

Then in verse 40, the LORD declares the end of His purpose for the people's worship. There He makes a plain declaration of the plan for His sanctuary and its service upon His holy mountain -- the vision which is written by the prophet in chapters 40-48! (This vision I thoroughly laid out in my study, Zion Restored, which I have posted on my website.)

But before concluding His Word of this particular utterance, God declares one more thing. It concerns the fire which will accompany the judgment of His Word against the nations. This Word seems to be directed at another site in the judgment, near the arabah of EDOM.

Ezekiel writes thus, in verse 46-48:

• "Son of man, set you face the way of the south and drop to the south, and prophesy against the forest of the field of the Negev.
• And say to the forest of the Negev, Hear the Word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD, I will kindle in you a fire, and it will eat up among you every moist tree and every dry tree. The glowing of the flame shall not be put out, and by it shall be scorched all the faces from the Negev to the north.
• And all flesh shall see that I, the LORD, have kindled it. It shall not be quenched."

Ezekiel 21:1-17 concludes with other matters which end when the LORD's outpoured fury is made to cease.

Conclusion

The above treatise about Elijah - the wilderness - what Ezekiel's prophecy says concerning it - is just a small part of all the prophecy which will be fulfilled at the coming of Elijah, and "the prophet" of the LORD. There are many points where I could veer off on a tangent - "all flesh shall see;" and "quenched," for example, and its use in the NO.T. - but I have restrained myself to Ezekiel. Anyone who wishes to read the entire Holy Scriptures with understanding can follow the same manner of study in order to be "taught of God."

Who needs "pioneers" other than those found within the Word of God?