@civic, John the Baptist, the first of the two witnesses.
First OT, Malachi 3:1 "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, (meaning his room), or body, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts." Malachi 3:2 "But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:" Malachi 3:3 "And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness." offer unto the LORD an offering in Righteousness? Remember before the FIST coming of the Lord, as Malachi said here to his Holy Temple, 400 years of “silence” not one word of scripture from the LORD GOD. Now, the birth of John the Baptist, (who is the Elijah to come). scripture, Malachi 4:5 "
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:" Malachi 4:6 "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 earth with a curse." can we prove this? Yes, John the baptist father Zacharias was doing his priestly duties in the course that was set by king David for the attending priest in their order. While doing his duties, the angel Gabriel showed up and startle the priest. Luke 1:8 "And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course," Luke 1:9 "According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord." Luke 1:10 "And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense." Luke 1:11 "And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense." Luke 1:12 "And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him." Luke 1:13 "But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John." Luke 1:14 "And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth." Luke 1:15 "For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb." Luke 1:16 "And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God." Luke 1:17 "
And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
What did Malachi say, 4:5 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:" Malachi 4:6 "
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 earth with a curse." that's word for word, this cannot be mistaken, for it is written. it's like reading a newspaper from the OT.
one more reference of John in the spirit and power of Elijah. Isaiah 40:3 "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God."
when Isaiah said, "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God." what did John say when asked who he was? John 1:19 "And this is the record (record here is witness), of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?" John 1:20 "And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ." John 1:21 "And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No." John 1:22 "Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?" John 1:23 "He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias." he told them directly who he was. when they asked if he was "Elias/Elijah", he said NO, why, because he was not the FLESH, BLOOD, and BONE man Elijah, but he came in the spirit and POWER of Elijah, just as the bible said.
Now the NT reference to John the Baptist as the Elijah to Come. "
The transfiguration of Christ ". Matthew 17:1 "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart," Matthew 17:2 "And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light." Matthew 17:3 "And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him." now we see your two who you think is the two witnesses. but let pick back up this as they come off the mountain and see the revelation.
Matthew 17:7 "And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid." Matthew 17:8 "And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only." Matthew 17:9 "
And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead." Matthew 17:10 "And his disciples asked him, saying,
Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?" Matthew 17:11 "And Jesus answered and said unto them,
Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things." Matthew 17:12 "
But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them." Matthew 17:13 "
Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist."
just as Malachi and Isaiah both said that the forerunner of the Lord who came unto his temple who establish the New Covenant was John the Baptist, THE ELIJAH TO COME.
so no doubt John is the Elijah to Come. now one other thing. because 101G is getting ready for church this morning, (and we can pick this up afterward). the woe in chapter 9 is the first woe under the 7 trumpets, let's see it. Revelation 9:12 "One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter." only two more correct... guess where the next one is at? let's see. Revelation 11:14 "The second woe is past; and,
behold, the third woe cometh quickly." this second woe is after the two witness, and the verse says the third woe comes quickly. well did not the Lord Jesus say he comes quickly? let's see. Revelation 22:7 "Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book." and one more, Revelation 22:12 "And, behold,
I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Revelation 22:13 "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."
we suggest you read over this post, and we can discuss later after church.
be blessed, looking to hear what you have to say.
101G.
