Now when the sons of the prophets who were from
Jericho saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha."
And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him.
Devotional
With Elijah having been carried by the chariot of Israel back to heaven, (see 2 Kings 2:9-12) the spirit of Elijah now rests on the prophet Elisha. Similarly Jesus would later say of John the Baptist that he was the fulfillment of the Scriptures concerning Elijah (Matt 11:13-15; 17:10-13; Mark 9:11-13). For John was prophesied about before his birth that he would go in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). Thus John the Baptist is the messenger who was to come before the Lord Jesus Christ, to prepare the way before Him (see Mal. 3:1; 4:5; Matt. 3:1-12; 11:7-14; 17:11-13; Mark 1:2-8; Luke 3:1-17; 7:24-27). For Jesus Himself said that John the Baptist is Elijah to come. Yet John the Baptists testimony in John's Gospel to the Pharisees when questioned by them was that he was not Elijah (see John 1:21), nor the Prophet foretold by Moses (see Deut 18:15 18; for your own info Jesus is the Prophet, John 1:45), rather John said he is
Therefore John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah to declare the coming of Christ, (whom John said he was not worthy to loose His sandal, John 1:27). Yet he himself said he is neither the Christ nor Elijah, but is the fulfillment of the Scriptures (Isaiah 40:1) concerning the messenger (or voice crying in the wilderness) who was too prepare people for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus John the Baptist is Elijah to come in the sense that John came in the spirit and power of Elijah; as Jesus said of John to prepare the way before Him. For it is clear that John did not want to propagate his own ministry or name in fulfilling the Elijah prophecy, rather he wanted Jesus Christ the Lamb of God sent to take away the sin of the world (see John 1:29-30; 35-36) to be absolutely forefront and foremost in all people's minds. And not have his, nor Elijah's person or name have any bearing on their consciences, as if salvation could come, or would come through them (consider Luke 3:15-17; John 3:30). For John the Baptist (like all the prophets before him) always points people to the Lord Jesus Christ's Person (see John 3:22-36). For that was the purpose of John's ministry, and that is the purpose of all the Scriptures (John 5:39-40), to bring people to faith in Christ (Gal 3:22).
Yet in spite of all that we still we see the terrible error of people looking too another, just as the Pharisees trusted in Moses, so today there are those who look too a Biblical Person, or prophet, instead of looking too the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God. We see this even at Jesus' Crucifixion where some wrongly interpret Jesus' crying out to God the Father (which Jesus did in fulfillment of the Scriptures), as Jesus crying out to Elijah to save Him! (See Matt 27:45-50). Yet we know at Jesus' transfiguration, when both Moses and Elijah appeared there with Jesus, and Peter in moment of rashness and fear said to the Lord let us build three tabernacles, one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah, God the Father from heaven immediately declared: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" (see Matt 17:5; 2 Peter 1:17-18). And so we know that no Biblical prophet or figure is to ever be put on par with Jesus, or worse before Him (either to pray too or worship before). Same with angelic beings (consider Col 2:18-19) as the Apostle John quickly found out when he fell before the angel who appeared to him, "And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Rev 19:10
Therefore any prophecy or preaching that does not point people to the Lord Jesus Christ as testified to in the Scriptures, (i.e. Son of God/Son of Man) and thus the Christ and Savior of the world who is the sole means of salvation (John 14:6; Acts 4:12), is a lie and is of demonic origins. For there are those today, just as there have been down through the ages, who seek to undermine the the Lord Jesus Christ's Person and or the exclusivity of His Finished Work at Calvary for the salvation of everyone who repents and believes in Him (consider John 19:30; 1 John 2:18-23; 4:1-3; 2 John 7 etc.).
And so though there may be a future ministry where Elijah will come during the tribulation period as some speculate (see Rev 11:3). The only question that matters, and on which your souls destiny rests upon is, who are you trusting for salvation and living in expectation of? If it is not the Lord Jesus Christ who was crucified for your sins remission, and rose from the dead for your justification before God the Father, than you've missed the mark! Be sure than that your faith is only in the Lord Jesus' Christ's Person and His Finished work on the cross to save you, and not in someone less than Him (John 3:31). For it's your exclusive faith (or trust) in the Lord Jesus Christ that will save you from the wrath to come (Matt 3:7; 1 Thess 1:10).
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. 1982, Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Devotional
With Elijah having been carried by the chariot of Israel back to heaven, (see 2 Kings 2:9-12) the spirit of Elijah now rests on the prophet Elisha. Similarly Jesus would later say of John the Baptist that he was the fulfillment of the Scriptures concerning Elijah (Matt 11:13-15; 17:10-13; Mark 9:11-13). For John was prophesied about before his birth that he would go in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). Thus John the Baptist is the messenger who was to come before the Lord Jesus Christ, to prepare the way before Him (see Mal. 3:1; 4:5; Matt. 3:1-12; 11:7-14; 17:11-13; Mark 1:2-8; Luke 3:1-17; 7:24-27). For Jesus Himself said that John the Baptist is Elijah to come. Yet John the Baptists testimony in John's Gospel to the Pharisees when questioned by them was that he was not Elijah (see John 1:21), nor the Prophet foretold by Moses (see Deut 18:15 18; for your own info Jesus is the Prophet, John 1:45), rather John said he is
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
Make straight the way of
the Lord" John 1:23
Therefore John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah to declare the coming of Christ, (whom John said he was not worthy to loose His sandal, John 1:27). Yet he himself said he is neither the Christ nor Elijah, but is the fulfillment of the Scriptures (Isaiah 40:1) concerning the messenger (or voice crying in the wilderness) who was too prepare people for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus John the Baptist is Elijah to come in the sense that John came in the spirit and power of Elijah; as Jesus said of John to prepare the way before Him. For it is clear that John did not want to propagate his own ministry or name in fulfilling the Elijah prophecy, rather he wanted Jesus Christ the Lamb of God sent to take away the sin of the world (see John 1:29-30; 35-36) to be absolutely forefront and foremost in all people's minds. And not have his, nor Elijah's person or name have any bearing on their consciences, as if salvation could come, or would come through them (consider Luke 3:15-17; John 3:30). For John the Baptist (like all the prophets before him) always points people to the Lord Jesus Christ's Person (see John 3:22-36). For that was the purpose of John's ministry, and that is the purpose of all the Scriptures (John 5:39-40), to bring people to faith in Christ (Gal 3:22).
Yet in spite of all that we still we see the terrible error of people looking too another, just as the Pharisees trusted in Moses, so today there are those who look too a Biblical Person, or prophet, instead of looking too the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God. We see this even at Jesus' Crucifixion where some wrongly interpret Jesus' crying out to God the Father (which Jesus did in fulfillment of the Scriptures), as Jesus crying out to Elijah to save Him! (See Matt 27:45-50). Yet we know at Jesus' transfiguration, when both Moses and Elijah appeared there with Jesus, and Peter in moment of rashness and fear said to the Lord let us build three tabernacles, one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah, God the Father from heaven immediately declared: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" (see Matt 17:5; 2 Peter 1:17-18). And so we know that no Biblical prophet or figure is to ever be put on par with Jesus, or worse before Him (either to pray too or worship before). Same with angelic beings (consider Col 2:18-19) as the Apostle John quickly found out when he fell before the angel who appeared to him, "And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Rev 19:10
Therefore any prophecy or preaching that does not point people to the Lord Jesus Christ as testified to in the Scriptures, (i.e. Son of God/Son of Man) and thus the Christ and Savior of the world who is the sole means of salvation (John 14:6; Acts 4:12), is a lie and is of demonic origins. For there are those today, just as there have been down through the ages, who seek to undermine the the Lord Jesus Christ's Person and or the exclusivity of His Finished Work at Calvary for the salvation of everyone who repents and believes in Him (consider John 19:30; 1 John 2:18-23; 4:1-3; 2 John 7 etc.).
And so though there may be a future ministry where Elijah will come during the tribulation period as some speculate (see Rev 11:3). The only question that matters, and on which your souls destiny rests upon is, who are you trusting for salvation and living in expectation of? If it is not the Lord Jesus Christ who was crucified for your sins remission, and rose from the dead for your justification before God the Father, than you've missed the mark! Be sure than that your faith is only in the Lord Jesus' Christ's Person and His Finished work on the cross to save you, and not in someone less than Him (John 3:31). For it's your exclusive faith (or trust) in the Lord Jesus Christ that will save you from the wrath to come (Matt 3:7; 1 Thess 1:10).
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. 1982, Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
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