A prophetic ministry of restorationmust take place before Christ comes back…..
And his disciples, questioning him, said, Why then do the scribes say that Elijah has to come first? And in answer he said, Elijah truly has to come and put all things right: But I say to you that Elijah has come, and they had no knowledge of him, but did to him whatever they were pleased to do; the same will the Son of man undergo at their hands Matthew 17:10-12
The disciple were asking Christ about the generally accepted viewpoint of the times when Elijah would precede the Messiah. Christ answers and even says that Elijah must come first, and says the purpose of Elijah is to restore all things, and must occur before Christ arrives as King to conclude all things, to fulfil his role as Messiah the leader.
This dialogue took place after John the Baptist was put to death. Christ states that John “partially” fulfilled the Elijah role in the sense that he did introduce Christ that was to come, but, John did not complete the full mission, a mission that is still future, but near future to be sure.
John did preach a type of restoration message when he challenged society to return to the commandments of God. He challenged the injustices, soldiers, tax collectors, politicians and the general morality…
Oh, he said to the people who went out to him for baptism: You offspring of snakes, at whose word are you going in flight from the wrath to come? Make clear by your acts that your hearts have been changed; and do not say to yourselves, We have Abraham for our father: for I say to you that God is able from these stones to make children of Abraham. And even now the axe is put to the root of the trees; and every tree which does not have good fruit will be cut down and put into the fire. And the people put questions to him, saying, What have we to do? And he made answer and said to them, He who has two coats, let him give to him who has not even one; and he who has food, let him do the same. Then tax-farmers came to him for baptism and said to him, Master, what have we to do? And he said to them, Do not make an attempt to get more money than the right amount. And men of the army put questions to him, saying, And what have we to do? And he said to them, Do no violent acts to any man, and do not take anything without right, and let your payment be enough for you. And while the people were waiting, and all men were questioning in their hearts about John, if he was the Christ or not, John made answer, saying to them all, Truly, I give you baptism with water, but one is coming who is greater than I, whose shoes I am not good enough to undo: he will give you baptism with the Holy Spirit, and with fire: In whose hand is the instrument with which he will make clean his grain; he will put the good grain in his store, but the waste will be burned in the fire which will never be put out. And so comforting them with these and other words, he gave the good news to the people; But Herod the king, because John had made a protest on account of Herodias, his brother's wife, and other evil things which Herod had done Luke 3:7-19
Demanding that Society conform to Biblically moral absolutes will be part of the Ministry of the Elijah who is yet to come prior to Christ’s final arrival. But, before those commandments can be preached to a society that is estranged from God, a balanced role of those commandments must be fully understood by the body of believers who will be involved in the preaching of these last Commandments before Christ does return.
Elijah Returns
