Bible Discussion Thread

Can someone please explain , Matthew chapter 17 verse 11 ? Jesus appears to be speaking of a future event , but then in verse 12 he says that Elias is come already . Thanks in anticipation .

There is a prophecy in Malachi which says,

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet BEFORE the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:" - Malachi 45

So as Malachi says, Elijah had to come BEFORE Jesus comes.

But to the disciples, things don't add up, because how come Jesus is here before Elijah when it should be Elijah before Jesus; and therefore to clear their bewilderment, they had to ask him, "Why then say the Scribes that Elijah must first come?"

Jesus answers (as you read in verse 12) by telling them that indeed Elijah had already come and the people didn't even notice.

So, the question is, When did Elijah come? Or, In what way did Elijah come? Or, what does it mean, Elijah must first come?

The answer is written elsewhere, " thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John And he shall go before him IN THE SPIRIT AND POWER OF ELIJAH, " - Luke 113, 17

So after Jesus answers them, they then understand what the Scribes meant.

That is why Matthew 1713 says, "Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist." - Matthew 1713

Thankyou , that's very helpful .

Mel8,

Matthew 17:12 says, but I say unto you, that Elijah is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they willed. Likewise shall they do to the Son of man, He shall suffer these things.



So Jesus said, indeed Elijah shall come first and restore all things, and that Elijah is come already. Very confusing, and that doesn't answer any questions. He will come and he has come. I'm sure the disciples are going Huh?



In John 1:21, the religious leaders sent delegates out to John's baptism and they asked him who are you? John says I'm not the Christ. In Verse 21, they said are you Elijah? And he said, no.



In Matthew 11:14, we see that John sent his disciples to ask Jesus a question, are you the Messiah or do we look for another?



And after His disciples left, He told the crowd that if you can receive it, John the Baptist is Elijah which was to come. What a lot of confusion here!



The key is found in Luke 1:17 when the angel Gabriel was speaking to Zacharias and he said that when John comes, he will come in the spirit and power of Elijah.



So he will not be Elijah the person, but he will have the same spirit and the same ministry as Elijah. Now what that means is that Elijah has come, but he as a person will come in the future.



And many, including myself, hold that in the book of Revelation, one of the two witnesses that witness in Jerusalem during the tribulation is Elijah coming to introduce the coming of Christ.



Both he and the other witness perform the same miracles and signs as Moses and Elijah did. But Elijah the person will come first.



That's why every year at the Passover meal, a Jewish family will leave an empty chair at the Passover table. It's because they believe that Passover time is when Elijah is going to come and announce the second coming of Christ. So they leave a chair vacant for him.

Very interesting how Jewish customs line up with things we study in scripture!

I hope this helps!

Oh yes thankyou ! Very helpful , thanks again .