While John was in jail, he received news about the things Jesus was doing. John wanted to know ‘if Jesus was "The Anointed One" (the Messiah, the Christ) .... or would there be another one coming?’
Matt 11:1-6 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.
2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come,
or do we look for another?
Jesus did not answer, "Yes," or "No." He responded to John’s questions by sending him a message to ‘read the signs.’
4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
Then Jesus spoke of who John was. He told the crowds of people that John was Elijah. Obviously, John was John, and not Elijah reincarnated. But the point is, that John the Baptist was the fulfillment of the prophecy that was written about Elijah .... which begs the question,
"Must prophecy be taken literally?"
Matt 11:7-15 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. (Mal 3:1)
11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14 And if ye will receive it,
this is Elias, which was for to come.
15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
After Jesus appeared on the mountain in glory, talking with Moses and Elias (Matt 17:1-9), in the sight of Peter, James, and John his brother ....
His disciples questioned Him about Elijah’s coming .... before His coming. He answered them the same way about John the Baptist. John was Elijah that would come before Christ. John was not Elijah in the flesh, literally .... but John was Elijah that the prophecy was written about:
Matt 17:10-13 And his disciples asked him, saying,
Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
11 And Jesus answered and said unto them,
Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
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.
13 Then the disciples understood
that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
When Zacharias was executing the priest’s office before God in the order of his course (Luke 1:8), while he was burning incense in the temple of the Lord (Luke 1:9) .... an angel of the Lord, Gabriel (Luke 1:19), appeared to him, and foretold that he and his wife Elisabeth, both ‘well-stricken-in-years’ (Luke 1:7) would have a son whose name would be called John (Luke 1:13). The angel also prophesied:
Luke 1:16-17 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 And he (John) shall go before him (the Lord) 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.
The angel showed Zacharias that his son John was the SPIRITUAL fulfillment of the prophecy that was written about Elijah:
Mal 4:5-6 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
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.
John himself explained that he was not Elijah .... physically:
John 1:19-21 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
21 And they asked him, What then?
Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not.
Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
‘Mid-Acts-hyper-dispensationalists’ have a problem here. They focus on not knowing Christ (Messiah) ‘after the flesh’ .... what about Elijah? What about John? John was Elijah .... but not in the flesh:
2 Cor 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh:
yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
Paul taught that Abraham’s children ‘in the flesh’ .... were not really Abraham’s children (also see Luke 3:8-9):
Gal 4:22-31 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons,
the one by a bondmaid,
the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh;
but he of the freewoman was by promise.
24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants;
the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
(Now who does that apply to? Us? Paul applied it to the churches where there is neither Jew nor Greek - Gal 3:28.)
29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture?
(Israel ‘after the flesh’ .... physical Israel .... is cast out.
Israel ‘after the Spirit’ .... spiritual Israel .... is the true heir.)
Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. (also see Acts 26:18, Eph 3:6)
(Now again, who does that apply to? Us? Paul applied it to the churches that are ‘in Christ’ .... they are Abraham’s seed - Gal 3:29.)
31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman,
but of the free.
Interpreting prophecy ‘spiritually’ instead of ‘literally’?
Jesus did it. Gabriel did it. Paul did it. Would YOU do it?
Rom 9:8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Who is now a Jew? It is not the ‘literal, physical, fleshly’ Jew:
Rom 2:28-29 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly;
neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly;
and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter;
whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Who is now circumcised?
Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
Who is now the circumcision? In time past, we were called Uncircumcision, but now we are the circumcision (Eph 2:11-12):
Phil 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Was John Elijah? Or should we look for another?
Jesus said he was. The angel of the Lord Gabriel said he was.
If YOU will receive it .... yes, he was.
Do you have ears to hear?
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
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