When will Elijah (Eliyahu) come? Malachi 4
Posted on July 15, 2008
Filed Under Last Days, Torah and Prophets
Malachi 4:1-6:
1 “For look, the day shall come, burning like a furnace, and all the proud, and every wrongdoer shall be stubble. And the day that shall come shall burn them up,” said יהוה of hosts, “which leaves to them neither root nor branch.
2 “But to you who fear My Name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings. And you shall go out and leap for joy like calves from the stall.
3 “And you shall trample the wrongdoers, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this,” said יהוה of hosts.
4 “Remember the Torah of Mosheh, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Yisrael – laws and right-rulings.
5 “See, I am sending you Eliyah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of יהוה
6 “And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with utter destruction.”
Many believe, and rightly believe, that Eliyahu (Elijah) already came in the form of John the Immerser (the Baptist). But just as Yehoshua (Jesus) is coming a second time, so Eliyahu is coming yet a second time as a preceding witness in order to prepare the way for Him (Yehoshua). Eliyahu has not yet “restored all matters” as the Prophet Malachi (Chapters 3-4) indicates he would (just as Yehoshua confirms below). Read the following passage, but be careful not to gloss over verse 11.
Matthew 17:10-14:
10 And His taught ones asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Eliyahu has to come first?”
11 And Yehoshua answering, said to them, “Eliyahu is indeed coming first, and shall restore all matters.
12 “But I say to you that Eliyahu has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they wished. In this way the Son of Adam is also about to suffer by them.”
13 Then the taught ones understood that He had spoken to them about Yohanan the Immerser.
Yehoshua did not deny the future event, but indicated Eliyahu was already in their midst and prepared the way for His coming. Also note with the following passage that the Disciples of Yehoshua believed Eliyahu of Malachi 4:5 had yet come to “restore all matters”. It was yet a future event, which is quite apparent even now (that is: it is still a future event).
Acts 3:19-23:
19 “Repent therefore and turn back, for the blotting out of your sins, in order that times of refreshing might come from the presence of the Master,
20 and that He sends Yehoshua Messiah, pre-appointed for you,
21 whom heaven needs to receive until the times of restoration of all matters, of which Elohim spoke through the mouth of all His set-apart prophets since of old.
22 “For Mosheh truly said to the fathers, יהוה your Elohim shall raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brothers. Him you shall hear according to all matters, whatever He says to you.
23 ‘And it shall be that every being who does not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ [ref. Deut. 18:18-20]
History and prophecy are frequently repeated or reoccur in dual events. In fact, sometimes History is Prophecy (for example: the First Exodus is a historical event that prophesied the Greater Exodus of Jeremiah 16 and 23).
The Great and Terrible Day
Now we just need to figure out when the Great and Terrible Day of יהוה is (otherwise known as the Great Tribulation). There are many things that point to its arrival in the middle of Daniel’s 70th week, a 7 year Shmittah cycle, and lasting for 3 1/2 years or 42 months (Daniel 7:25,12:1; Matthew 24:21; Revelation 11:2-3,12:14,13:5). Malachi does not specify exactly how long “before” the Terrible Day of יהוה that Eliyahu will come. We simply know it is any time between “now” and the start of the Great Tribulation. There is good reason to believe he will be one of the Two Witnesses of Revelation who gather the First Fruits (the 144,000) to Jerusalem to be sealed, those representing a remnant from Judah and 10-Israel, just before the Terrible Day. Unless the regathering of the 144,000 (Rev 7) and “the woman” (Rev 12) is supernatural, it will take some amount of time to raise a sign in Tzion for them to see and be drawn to. Even so, Eliyahu will certainly be communicating urgency if the timing of the Day of Wrath is known and coming quickly.
There is an intriguing parallel between the 3 1/2 years that Eliyahu stopped the rain during King Ahab’s reign (I Kings 17:1) and the future 3 1/2 years of Great Tribulation. Yet again, it is uncertain how soon Eliyahu will come before the beginning of the 42 months, but we should find comfort in knowing that a great prophet will be warning the sheep before the Terrible Day. Just make sure your ears are open and willing to hear his message (much of the Christian, Jewish, and Secular world will oppose him). His message will not contradict the Prophets of the Tanakh. It will resemble Malachi 3-4 especially. And just like those righteous prophets of old, the people will want to kill Eliyahu too.
I highly recommend Tim McHyde’s book, Know the Future. He goes into much greater detail regarding Elijah’s arrival and other things to expect and watch for.
Related Content:
- Daniel’s Timeline of the Last Days (using the Sabbath/Shmita Year Cycle)
- Time of Warning
- Three Levels of the Prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27
- The Horizon Project - Bracing for Tomorrow
- Escape All These Things
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2 Responses to “When will Elijah (Eliyahu) come? Malachi 4”
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What have you heard recently about the reported sightings and interactons with a man calling himself “Eliyahu”? he supposedly was dressed in sackcloth, and all the expected garb. I can’t find anythin on the web, thought maybe you had heard something.
Thanks,
Marc
Well, I’ve known several people by the name Eliyahu or Elijah (as you probably have), but I haven’t heard of this particular individual you allude to. There are many reports of people who claim to be “the” Eliyahu in Israel, but none have “restored all things” yet. If this guy is he, we (around the world) should be hearing alot more about him soon.
If you come upon more clear details, would love to hear about them.
Shalom Aleichem!