Just come back from the new House build, from inspecting what challenges the Builder has created for me today and this little bug you set on me, wouldn't nick off.Haha sorry mate. It's a bug for all of us. We do want to be in correct relationship with our Creator, so it's a bug worth having
Building a house can be a bug in itself, but hopefully your rewards will be pleasing for you. I'll pray for it to go well
Ok some things that I would ask your kind attention to:
1. Matthew 17:10 -
And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.”Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.Here Christ, is clearly talking about Elijah having already come. They did not recognize him (which they didn't with John) and they did to him whatever they pleased (which they did with John's beheading).
Christ also talks about a future coming of Elijah which is a separate event which is related to the "the great and awesome day of the Lord"
2. The great and awesome day of the Lord has two simultaneous meanings. The coming of the Messiah is often termed the day of the Lord (from OT passages) and the return of Christ is also termed the day of the Lord (from NT passages). So when we are quoting Mal 4:5, this must be related to the Messiah which is Jesus' first coming.
So if John was
not Elijah's return (whatever that means, in spirit? in person? not sure, but
RETURN nonetheless) then Jesus was not the Messiah.
3. Why would John deny being Elijah?
I personally think He knew who He was, which is commonplace amongst all Prophets in that they don't divulge "everything" in a huge lump (we need milk first
), but what they speak is boundless wisdom, and I think His denial was a protection of His mission which was not completed yet, and also a protection for Jesus' mission as the vultures were swarming.
His mission was hidden at the beginning.
His mission was partially divulged in the middle in John 1:21 ("if you will wish to take")
His mission is fully divulged in Matt 17:10 ("Elijah has already come")
Wisdom wisdom wisdom.
Kam