Matthew 17:10 - A Response
I recently received a communication from a friend who was puzzled by the events of Chapter 17 of the Gospel of Matthew, and especially by Y'shua's response to the question of the disciples (we are not told which one actually did the asking). Being a person sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and wary of any situation which could be misconstrued or misleading, she was concerned about how the ministry of John the Baptist (Yochanan the Immerser) could be performed through "the spirit of Elijah" the Prophet (Eliyahu ha Navi) whose story is found in the 1st Book of Kings in the Older Covenant. What follows is my response to her inquiry. After my opening remarks, I stated.....:
Anyway, you asked a question of me, to which I want to try to respond. (Notice I did not say 'answer' , as I do not have all the answers, however perhaps the Lord will help you work through what I say here, and through other things you will learn as you continue to study the topic).
You asked: 'How can it be that somebody else's spirit and power other than God's is sent to John the Baptist? It sounds like we can all access dead people's power. I know John the Baptist was not literally Elijah, but was it his power in which John worked?'
= = = = = =
As I understand your question, it seems to be divided into three main areas of concern:
1. Did John the Baptist make use of another person's power or spirit to perform his ministry?
2. Can we (and by implication, Do we) [and should we] access the power of those great figures (or others) who have preceded us so as to perform our ministry? and
3. Is it accurate to say that John actually ministered by way of the power of Elijah?
We live in age when the general public seems to be fascinated with death, and the conjuring up of the spirit's of the dead. Movies and television shows abound which play to this fascination of the viewing public. Movies such as "The Sixth Sense", and "Ghost" and Television programmes such as "Dead Like Me", or "Desperate Housewives" all portray consulting with spiritualists, or mediums or directly with the dead as being almost normal. Some so-called Reality Shows take us into supposedly haunted houses in search of some ghostly presence. Why, for pity's sake??
One of the greatest mistakes that King Sha'ul made was to do just that when he sought out the witch of Endor (see 1 Samuel 28:7ff) through which he tries to conjure up the spirit of Samuel the prophet who had died previously. This took place just prior to a battle against the Philistine armies and it was in that battle that both Sha'ul and his three sons, Yochanan, Abinadab and Malchi-shua were slaughtered- thus making room for King David to come to power.
In the Older Covenant book called Deuteronomy (D'Varim) we read God's direction regarding witchcraft, necromancy and divination: "When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations [which are presently in the land]. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer or one who casts a spell or a medium or a spiritist or one who calls up the dead, for whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord and because of these detestable things the Lord your God will drive them out before you." (18:9-12)
[The reader could also take a look at Genesis 15:12-16 where God tells Avraham that He will deal with the Amorites in Canaan in due time, that is, upon the return of the Hebrew people from Egypt some 400 years hence.]
To look directly at the passage in question, we turn to Matthew's Gospel - the first book in the Newer Covenant,- to chapter 17. Just prior to the question which is asked by that un-named disciple [although an educated guess would point the finger at Peter, because there are only three talmidim with Y'shua at the time and most of the conversation has been carried by Peter (Kepha)] we see that he, Yochanan (John) and Ya'acov (James) have witnessed what we call "The Transfiguration", an immense demonstration of God's power, and a moment in which truly Heaven and Earth come together. (see Matthew 17:1-8)
We are told that the event takes place on the top of a high mountain. I am sure I remember our guide (in 1985) pointing to the top of a cliff near Yerico and indicating that it was a possible site of the Transfiguration. It was a long time ago and I could be mistaken. Most scholars, however, indicate that Mount Hermon, in northern Israel (near Caesarea Philippi and Paneas) is a more likely site due to its being the highest peak in Israel (skiing almost year round). This makes sense to me, because even though 6 days have passed since, the previous chapter deals with events which occurred at Caesarea Philippi close to Paneas. The church, particularly the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox hold that it was Mt. Tabor, a smaller mountain (1886 ft) located in the Jezreel Valley in lower Galilee. These two denominations have erected churches on the mountain to mark it as special, on the site of earlier ruins from the 5th and 6th centuries. [It's interesting to note that Kepha suggested building simple sukkot (booths or tabernacles) on the site and Y'shua did not care for the idea. Sometimes I think the powers that be in a church don't actually read Scripture very carefully.] At any rate, the question is asked as Y'shua and the three talmidim are descending from the mountain-top..
Anyway, you asked a question of me, to which I want to try to respond. (Notice I did not say 'answer' , as I do not have all the answers, however perhaps the Lord will help you work through what I say here, and through other things you will learn as you continue to study the topic).
You asked: 'How can it be that somebody else's spirit and power other than God's is sent to John the Baptist? It sounds like we can all access dead people's power. I know John the Baptist was not literally Elijah, but was it his power in which John worked?'
= = = = = =
As I understand your question, it seems to be divided into three main areas of concern:
1. Did John the Baptist make use of another person's power or spirit to perform his ministry?
2. Can we (and by implication, Do we) [and should we] access the power of those great figures (or others) who have preceded us so as to perform our ministry? and
3. Is it accurate to say that John actually ministered by way of the power of Elijah?
We live in age when the general public seems to be fascinated with death, and the conjuring up of the spirit's of the dead. Movies and television shows abound which play to this fascination of the viewing public. Movies such as "The Sixth Sense", and "Ghost" and Television programmes such as "Dead Like Me", or "Desperate Housewives" all portray consulting with spiritualists, or mediums or directly with the dead as being almost normal. Some so-called Reality Shows take us into supposedly haunted houses in search of some ghostly presence. Why, for pity's sake??
One of the greatest mistakes that King Sha'ul made was to do just that when he sought out the witch of Endor (see 1 Samuel 28:7ff) through which he tries to conjure up the spirit of Samuel the prophet who had died previously. This took place just prior to a battle against the Philistine armies and it was in that battle that both Sha'ul and his three sons, Yochanan, Abinadab and Malchi-shua were slaughtered- thus making room for King David to come to power.
In the Older Covenant book called Deuteronomy (D'Varim) we read God's direction regarding witchcraft, necromancy and divination: "When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations [which are presently in the land]. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer or one who casts a spell or a medium or a spiritist or one who calls up the dead, for whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord and because of these detestable things the Lord your God will drive them out before you." (18:9-12)
[The reader could also take a look at Genesis 15:12-16 where God tells Avraham that He will deal with the Amorites in Canaan in due time, that is, upon the return of the Hebrew people from Egypt some 400 years hence.]
To look directly at the passage in question, we turn to Matthew's Gospel - the first book in the Newer Covenant,- to chapter 17. Just prior to the question which is asked by that un-named disciple [although an educated guess would point the finger at Peter, because there are only three talmidim with Y'shua at the time and most of the conversation has been carried by Peter (Kepha)] we see that he, Yochanan (John) and Ya'acov (James) have witnessed what we call "The Transfiguration", an immense demonstration of God's power, and a moment in which truly Heaven and Earth come together. (see Matthew 17:1-8)
We are told that the event takes place on the top of a high mountain. I am sure I remember our guide (in 1985) pointing to the top of a cliff near Yerico and indicating that it was a possible site of the Transfiguration. It was a long time ago and I could be mistaken. Most scholars, however, indicate that Mount Hermon, in northern Israel (near Caesarea Philippi and Paneas) is a more likely site due to its being the highest peak in Israel (skiing almost year round). This makes sense to me, because even though 6 days have passed since, the previous chapter deals with events which occurred at Caesarea Philippi close to Paneas. The church, particularly the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox hold that it was Mt. Tabor, a smaller mountain (1886 ft) located in the Jezreel Valley in lower Galilee. These two denominations have erected churches on the mountain to mark it as special, on the site of earlier ruins from the 5th and 6th centuries. [It's interesting to note that Kepha suggested building simple sukkot (booths or tabernacles) on the site and Y'shua did not care for the idea. Sometimes I think the powers that be in a church don't actually read Scripture very carefully.] At any rate, the question is asked as Y'shua and the three talmidim are descending from the mountain-top..
The question they ask is "Why do the scribes...
[the educated members of the Temple who dealt with the scrolls of Scripture] say that Eliyahu ha Navi [Elijah the Prophet] must come first?" Their query refers back to what they have just witnessed. They had seen Y'shua, in a 'transformed state', [I would say 'in His Heavenly state' - an appearance somewhat similar to what Mary would later encounter in the Garden on the day of Y'shua's Resurrection]. Y'shua was in the midst of a 'cloud' (refer to Exodus 13:21 and 1 Kings 8:10-11) along with two other heavenly personages whom the author describes as Moshe and Eliyahu.
Their question arises from what the Jewish people knew based on the writings of the prophets, in particular Malachi, who wrote: "Look, I will send to you Eliyahu ha Navi before the coming of the Great and Terrible Day of Adonai. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers; otherwise I will come and strike the land with complete destruction." (Mal 4:5-6) In a sense, what the talmidim are doing is questioning Y'shua's role and mission. They are saying: 'if you are the awaited Messiah, they why didn't Eliyahu come first and announce Your coming?" Interestingly, these two verses, in the English Bible, are the last 2 verses of the Older Covenant, from which we move directly into the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Now this question about Eliyahu's announcement take us into another area of wonderment. How do Moshe and Eliyahu appear at all? They are long-gone, Older Covenant figures. What are they doing on ANY mountain top alongside Y'shua? Some further digging is needed.
With respect to Moshe, we are told that he died atop Mount Nebo, located to the east of the northern end of the Dead Sea and a place called Medeba in the land of Moab. It was here that the 12 Tribes of Israel had encamped before entering the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 34:1-12 relates the whole story but verses 5 & 6 are sufficient for our purpose. They read: "Then Moshe, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord's command. He was buried in a valley in the Land of Moab opposite Beth Peor, but no one knows his burial place to the day." Of course, the only one with Moshe at the time was God, so the only one that could have buried him secretly, was also God. That leaves us with some mystery, and where there is mystery, legends can develop.
Take for instance the comment in the 9th verse of Jude (The second last book of the Bible). "When Mikha'el, one of the ruling angels, [Michael the Archangel] took issue with the Adversary [Satan], arguing over the body of Moshe, he did not dare bring against him an insulting charge, but said, 'May Adonai rebuke you!'" According to 'The Church Fathers', this statement is based on an Apocryphal test called "The Assumption of Moshe", (NIV study Bible, comment on Jude 9). My point is that there seems to be some question around the 'burial' of Moshe. The fact there there is a record, apocryphal or not, dealing with the 'Assumption' of Moshe, indicates that a possible alternative to his actual burial exists. The term 'assumption' refers to God's having permitted entry into His heavenly realm without death occurring. If death did not occur, then the appearance of Moshe atop the mountain is not so hard to deal with. But does this hold for Eliyahu?
Let us go to 2 Kings 2:1-11 for some guidance in this. This is the account of Eliyahu's departure from his earthly existence. We see that Eliyahu and his protege, Elisha are involved in a rather long trek - from Gilgal to Bethel, to Yericho and finally back to Samaria - except that Eliyahu doesn't make it all the way home, he 'dies' along the way. The account opens with a teaser: "Now when the Lord was about to take Eliyahu up to heaven by a whirlwind..." then the story continues in verse 11: "As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them and Eliyahu ascended in a whirlwind into heaven." So definitely, Eliyahu is 'taken up' without dying. Thus, it is possible for him also to re-appear in bodily form, perhaps somewhat changed, atop the mountain with Y'shua and Moshe. Of course, what we fail to consider is that - 1. we believe in Eternal Life, and 2. God is all powerful, so surely He could make Eliyahu and Moshe appear anywhere, anytime - but we won't get into that dialogue here.
As an aside, let me point out that there are at least three accounts of similar 'Assumptions" into heaven. The First deals with Enoch, the seventh generation descendant from Noach In Genesis 5:18-24, we read: "All the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty years. And Enoch walked with God, then he was no more, for God had taken him" (SEASC) This account is noted by Rashi, who, more or less, discounts it from our point of discussion, however a record also exists in Targum Yonasan which interprets the phrase thus: "And Enoch served in truth before God, and behold, he was not with the sojourners of earth, for he was withdrawn, and he ascended to heaven by the Word of God" (Commentary in SEASC, page 25) [Spoiler alert ; Enoch's name will come up again in this article]
The Second occurrence is found embedded in the teaching / doctrine of, in particular, the Roman Catholic church. It deals with the Assumption of Mary, the mother of Y'shua. This non-Biblical story is attributable to a 4th century collection of texts called the "Protevangelium of James". This text is a collection of imagined stories dealing with the lives of Biblical figures before and/or after their appearance in Scripture. Although slammed by early scholars, the text remained popular amongst the body of Messiah, (the Church) because it filled a vacuum in the stories of Biblical characters which the general public yearned to know about and which the Bible did not include. Even the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus in 431 CE, decided to turn a blind eye to its use due to fear of alienating the people. (Some things never change!) Out of that book, then, comes the commemoration of Mary's Assumption on August 15th, practiced even today in the church, and who can say anything about it - for or against - because there is no Biblical evidence to refute it.
The third occurrence IS Biblical, however. You will find it in Mark 16:9, Luke 24:50 ff and the Book of Acts 1:6-11 These passages all deal with the Ascension of Y'shua following his Resurrection. It is a pivotal story in our Christian faith.
Their question arises from what the Jewish people knew based on the writings of the prophets, in particular Malachi, who wrote: "Look, I will send to you Eliyahu ha Navi before the coming of the Great and Terrible Day of Adonai. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers; otherwise I will come and strike the land with complete destruction." (Mal 4:5-6) In a sense, what the talmidim are doing is questioning Y'shua's role and mission. They are saying: 'if you are the awaited Messiah, they why didn't Eliyahu come first and announce Your coming?" Interestingly, these two verses, in the English Bible, are the last 2 verses of the Older Covenant, from which we move directly into the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Now this question about Eliyahu's announcement take us into another area of wonderment. How do Moshe and Eliyahu appear at all? They are long-gone, Older Covenant figures. What are they doing on ANY mountain top alongside Y'shua? Some further digging is needed.
With respect to Moshe, we are told that he died atop Mount Nebo, located to the east of the northern end of the Dead Sea and a place called Medeba in the land of Moab. It was here that the 12 Tribes of Israel had encamped before entering the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 34:1-12 relates the whole story but verses 5 & 6 are sufficient for our purpose. They read: "Then Moshe, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord's command. He was buried in a valley in the Land of Moab opposite Beth Peor, but no one knows his burial place to the day." Of course, the only one with Moshe at the time was God, so the only one that could have buried him secretly, was also God. That leaves us with some mystery, and where there is mystery, legends can develop.
Take for instance the comment in the 9th verse of Jude (The second last book of the Bible). "When Mikha'el, one of the ruling angels, [Michael the Archangel] took issue with the Adversary [Satan], arguing over the body of Moshe, he did not dare bring against him an insulting charge, but said, 'May Adonai rebuke you!'" According to 'The Church Fathers', this statement is based on an Apocryphal test called "The Assumption of Moshe", (NIV study Bible, comment on Jude 9). My point is that there seems to be some question around the 'burial' of Moshe. The fact there there is a record, apocryphal or not, dealing with the 'Assumption' of Moshe, indicates that a possible alternative to his actual burial exists. The term 'assumption' refers to God's having permitted entry into His heavenly realm without death occurring. If death did not occur, then the appearance of Moshe atop the mountain is not so hard to deal with. But does this hold for Eliyahu?
Let us go to 2 Kings 2:1-11 for some guidance in this. This is the account of Eliyahu's departure from his earthly existence. We see that Eliyahu and his protege, Elisha are involved in a rather long trek - from Gilgal to Bethel, to Yericho and finally back to Samaria - except that Eliyahu doesn't make it all the way home, he 'dies' along the way. The account opens with a teaser: "Now when the Lord was about to take Eliyahu up to heaven by a whirlwind..." then the story continues in verse 11: "As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them and Eliyahu ascended in a whirlwind into heaven." So definitely, Eliyahu is 'taken up' without dying. Thus, it is possible for him also to re-appear in bodily form, perhaps somewhat changed, atop the mountain with Y'shua and Moshe. Of course, what we fail to consider is that - 1. we believe in Eternal Life, and 2. God is all powerful, so surely He could make Eliyahu and Moshe appear anywhere, anytime - but we won't get into that dialogue here.
As an aside, let me point out that there are at least three accounts of similar 'Assumptions" into heaven. The First deals with Enoch, the seventh generation descendant from Noach In Genesis 5:18-24, we read: "All the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty years. And Enoch walked with God, then he was no more, for God had taken him" (SEASC) This account is noted by Rashi, who, more or less, discounts it from our point of discussion, however a record also exists in Targum Yonasan which interprets the phrase thus: "And Enoch served in truth before God, and behold, he was not with the sojourners of earth, for he was withdrawn, and he ascended to heaven by the Word of God" (Commentary in SEASC, page 25) [Spoiler alert ; Enoch's name will come up again in this article]
The Second occurrence is found embedded in the teaching / doctrine of, in particular, the Roman Catholic church. It deals with the Assumption of Mary, the mother of Y'shua. This non-Biblical story is attributable to a 4th century collection of texts called the "Protevangelium of James". This text is a collection of imagined stories dealing with the lives of Biblical figures before and/or after their appearance in Scripture. Although slammed by early scholars, the text remained popular amongst the body of Messiah, (the Church) because it filled a vacuum in the stories of Biblical characters which the general public yearned to know about and which the Bible did not include. Even the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus in 431 CE, decided to turn a blind eye to its use due to fear of alienating the people. (Some things never change!) Out of that book, then, comes the commemoration of Mary's Assumption on August 15th, practiced even today in the church, and who can say anything about it - for or against - because there is no Biblical evidence to refute it.
The third occurrence IS Biblical, however. You will find it in Mark 16:9, Luke 24:50 ff and the Book of Acts 1:6-11 These passages all deal with the Ascension of Y'shua following his Resurrection. It is a pivotal story in our Christian faith.
Let us now turn to John the Baptist or Yochanan the Immerser himself.
. Y'shua alludes to him in His response to the talmidim, and we are told that the talmidim make the connection quickly based on what Y'shua says.
Yochanan's story begins in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 1, where we find another archangel visiting the cohen [priest] on duty in the Temple of Yerushalayim. It would have been about a year and half before the birth of Y'shua in Beth Lechem.
The angel speaks: "Don't be afraid, Z'kharyah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elisheva will bear you a son, and you are to name him Yochanan. He will be a joy and a delight to you, and many people will rejoice when he is born, for he will be great in the sight of Adonai... He will turn many of the people of Yisra'el to Adonai their God. He will go out ahead of Adonai in the spirit and power of Eliyahu to turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready for Adonai a people prepared... I am Gavri'el... and I stand in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you, to give you this good news." (Lk 1:8-19) Before continuing, go back up the page and compare this prophecy with that spoken of Eliyahu.
It is this prophecy about Yochanan, along with a couple of other prophecies from the Older Covenant, to which Y'shua refers in His response to the talmidim in Matthew 17:11-13. Y'shua states clearly and unequivocally, as David Stern interprets it in the Complete Jewish Bible, "On the one hand, Eliyahu is coming and will restore all things; On the other hand, I tell you that Eliyahu has come already, and the people did not recognize him but did whatever they pleased to him." and then we read: "And the talmidim understood that [Y'shua] was talking to them about Yochanan the Immerser." [I should point out that the phrases "on the one hand" and "on the other hand" are additions implanted by Strong in the CJB to provide some clarity.]
The other prophecies referred to go back to the time of the prophets - Isaiah and Malachi. First, some 700 years before the time of Y'shua, Isaiah the Prophet (Yesha'Yahu ha Navi) under the direction and Spirit of God, had prophesied about a 'herald' who would be found in the desert wilderness, and who would announce the coming of the Messiah. He recorded his words thus: "A voice is calling, 'Clear the way for the Lord in the Wilderness, make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; and let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley'..." Then, around 450 BCE, Malachi added some information to that word when he prophesied that God would "send [His] messenger and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His Temple." (3:1)
While this initial prophecy of Malachi (3:1) speaks briefly of a prophet who will be a herald of the Messiah, we have also seen other words by Malachi (in chapter 4, verses 5 & 6 as per above) which refer to a time when God would send Eliyahu ha Navi before the coming of the "Great and Terrible Day of the Lord". Y'shua's answer to the talmidim, therefore, encompasses both prophecies, both occurrences, as it were. First, the "on the one hand" phrase refers to the prophecy of the return of Messiah in the end times, when He comes as the Triumphant King - Meshiach ben David (see below). Then, the "on the other hand" phrase refers to the prophecies of Malachi 3:1, Isaiah 40 and also to Gavri'el's words to Z'kharyah which speak of a messenger whose role is to herald, and thus clear the way for, the Messiah, an event which is initiated by Y'shua's birth in Beth Lechem, and a role which had been fulfilled by Yochanan the Immerser at the Yarden (Jordan [River]). It is this role of Yochanan as herald which gives rise to the questions to which we are responding now.
In this second phrase of His response, ("on the other hand, I tell you that Eliyahu has come already"), Y'shua is pointing out that, Eliyahu has come, not personally, not in the flesh as it were, but in and through the ministry of Yochanan the Immerser. That is to say that when Yochanan, spoke to the large crowds, he ministered "in the spirit and power" of Eliyahu, and he was fulfilling that role of 'herald' in the place of Eliyahu,
In other words, it was not that Yochanan WAS Eliyahu, (he did, in fact, deny that very thing when questioned) but rather that his ministry of preparing the people for the first coming of the Messiah was the continuation of the mission of Eliyahu, just as he would have accomplished it if he were there, just as Malachi had prophesied it to the people of his time, just as Isaiah had proclaimed it to the people of his time, and just as Gavri'el had foretold it to Z'kharyah,... and he was doing it all in the same God-given power, and the same God-given Spirit as Eliyahu had displayed in his earlier ministry hundreds of years earlier.
Interestingly, it is precisely this 'being Eliyahu-like, but not the actual Eliyahu, that caused most of the Jewish people of Y'shua's time to miss the truth about both Yochanan AND Y'shua. They may have been 'watching for' Eliyahu - as attested to by the annual repetition of setting a place for him at the annual Pesach Seder table, and by going to the door to 'look' for him (a practice which still continues today, every year, in properly observant Jewish and Messianic homes) - but because he came in an unexpected way, he was over-looked.
The first phrase of Y'shua's response, ("On the one hand, Eliyahu IS coming, and will restore all things") a prophecy yet to be fulfilled, refers to the actual return (for believing Christians and Messianics) or, (for the Jewish community), the first coming, of the Messiah in the End Days. In that "Great and Terrible Day of the Lord", Eliyahu ha Navi will come to proclaim the final warnings of God's impending justice. He will once again be accompanied by (I believe) Moshe, as he was on the mountain top with Y'shua, and Eliyahu and Moshe will prophesy for 3 and a 1/2 years (1260 days or 42 months) during the Time of Tribulation. [NOTE: following this period will come a second period of 1260 days, the Time of Great Tribulation, as God heats up his warning system to all as yet unbelievers].
Their appearance is prophesied in Zechariah's book, (the second last book of the Older Covenant in the English Bible) in Chapter 4, verses 2-3 and 11 and 14) which read: "I see, and behold a lampstand all of gold,... also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side... Then I answered and said to him [i.e. God's messenger] 'What are these two olive trees?'... Then he said, 'These are the two anointed ones, who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.'" In the Book of The Revelation to John, we read about how this will come to pass. John is speaking about his revelatory vision and the message of God: "I was given a measuring rod, like a stick and told, 'Get up and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count how many people are worshipping there! But the court outside the Temple, leave that out; don't measure it; because it has been given to the Goyim, ([the Other or 70] Nations), and they will trample over the holy city for forty two months. Also, I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two menorahs standing before the Lord of the earth."
So - What have we discovered through this study?
First of all, I hope we can now agree that when Y'shua indicates that Yochanan the Immerser was actually Eliyahu, fulfilling the prophecies of the Older Covenant prophets, it simply means that Yochanan's mission to the people of God was a continuation of what Eliyahu had begun. In fact, Yochanan was empowered by God's Ruach ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit), just as Eliyahu had been empowered by the same Spirit. [There is One Body, One Spirit, One Voice, One God]. Y'shua also indicates that, in the same way, the further prophecies will also be fulfilled by a mightily empowered pair of witnesses, Eliyahu and [likely] Moshe who will continue their mission, by crying out a warning to the people that God's mercy is coming to an end, and that His wrath and justice are about to be experienced. (By the way, these two witnesses will once again appear to die, and then be [re-] assumed into heaven before the astounded eyes of the crowds around them. {see Rev, 11:7-12}
Secondly, we have seen that this is not a case of getting power from the dead, (nor from ancestors, or some other demonic force such as Hollywood would show us). We have seen that a case can be made, first of all, that certainly Eliyahu and Enoch, and possibly Moshe did not 'die' as we understand death, and so they continue, or alternatively that their heavenly bodies allow them to continue, the ministry to which God called them for His purposes, just as Y'shua continues His ministry with the talmidim (and us) after His death. In fact, it occurs to me as I write this, that perhaps that is precisely WHY they were assumed into heaven - - because their work was not yet complete, but would involve a yet-to-be-realized, end-time mission... Hmmmm.?!
And Finally, we have shown that ALL power to do Godly ministry, whether it deals with Prophecy or Evangelism, or Healing, or Prayer or simply Helping your neighbour paint his barn or Driving a cancer patient to her weekly treatments... ALL power to minister to others in a Godly way, originates from God. All the prophets, angelic messengers and Divine witnesses whom God has sent, God first empowered to do what He called them to do. They have all acknowledged this point in their own writings. (See for instance Isaiah 6:8-11 or Jeremiah 1:4-7). We have affirmed all this by examples from both the Older Covenant and the Newer, that whatever power they did have, or do have, or will have, - whether Eliyahu, or Yochanan or angelic messengers, or you or me and even the two 'olive tree' witnesses - that power comes directly, directly from God Himself.
= = = =================
NOTES:
The "SEASC", (see acknowledgements below) is a compilation of the entire Torah (Pentateuch, or first five books). It also contains particular passages from the prophets and other writings of the Tenakh. These passages are all grouped in accordance with the weekly reading assignment (parsha) for the Torah The Chumash includes both the Hebrew and English texts as well as commentary from a more 'orthodox' Jewish point of view written by a myriad of ancient and modern sages and scholars.
"Rashi" is an acronym for Rabbi Shlomo (Solomon) Yitzhaki, a highly esteemed 11th century commentator on the Tenakh (Older Covenant). He came from the Ashkenazi tradition (as opposed to the Sephardic stream of Judaism which I tend to favour in terms of liturgy and pronunciations). His works include complete commentary on both the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud. He is famous for uncovering the "basic meaning" of a passage.
"Targum and "Targum Yonasan": A Targum is an ancient, originally oral, and later written, rabbinic interpretation of what a particular passage of Scripture means. Targums (Targumim?) came in various parts or versions, often named after the Rabbi who said it, or wrote it, or perhaps after something that the text might be about.(This one sounds like it originated from a Swedish Rabbi, but I somehow doubt that that is what Yonasan means.) They weren't necessarily the "last word" however, as different Rabbis recorded different interpretations. The ancient Targumim eventually were included in the Talmud I believe.
The CJB is the Complete Jewish Bible. It is a Messianic set of Scriptures which has the Older Covenant in the order of the Tenakh and the Newer Covenant as per "English" Bibles. It is the work of David Strong, a Messianic Scholar and Rabbi who also created the "Strong's Exhaustive Concordance".
The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord: Three of the "minor" prophets of the Tenakh (Joel, Zephaniah and Malachi) all refer to a time which is coming using this or similar terminology. Sometimes it gets 'laundered' by modern interpreters in today's versions of the Bible. It is not meant to be just a particular day, but more like a period of time. The use of 'Day" implies that it is a set period however The terms used include The Day of the Lord, and the Great Day of the Lord, referring, I believe, to the initiation of the Time of Tribulation and then the Great and Terrible (or various synonyms such as wrathful, etc) Day of the Lord, which may initiate the second half of the Great Tribulation, (the last 3 1/2 years) or it may refer to the Day of Judgement, when we stand before El Shaddai to answer for our lives.
With respect to the Two Witnesses. In fairness to scholarly research, some Biblical scholars believe that instead of Moshe, the second "Olive Tree" will be Enoch. I refer the reader to the NASV Study Bible commentary on Revelation 11:4. This is why I spent some time discussing his assumption.
And finally, a note on "Assumption" ... While some so-called scholars decry the whole concept, I firmly, FIRMLY, believe that there will, at some point in the end times, be one great Assumption in which all believers will be assumed into the heavenly realm. You might better know it as the "Rapture".
= = = ===================
Some Acknowledgements:
To my dear friend Liz, for the original inquiry,
To the Stone Edition Art Scroll Chumash, without which I would be virtually lost (not salvation wise, just in terms of wisdom)
To the New International Version, the New American Standard Version Bibles, and the Complete Jewish Bible which are all tremendous sources of knowledge, The NASV Bible is perhaps one of the most reliable interpretations of our Scriptures available today. I would rank it as equivalent with the New Revised Version of the Bible.
To the Jewish Book of Knowledge, published when,,, I don't know... because I don't have it with me...
To whatever means I have at hand to delve into the Talmud and its various sections - usually third hand, but still 'fun' to do,
To our church's Ladies Bible study group, that 'forces' me out of the house so that I can do this..... and
To the Minden Public Library, which offers free wireless internet and makes all this possible.... Thanks!
= = = ================================================= = = =
Yochanan's story begins in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 1, where we find another archangel visiting the cohen [priest] on duty in the Temple of Yerushalayim. It would have been about a year and half before the birth of Y'shua in Beth Lechem.
The angel speaks: "Don't be afraid, Z'kharyah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elisheva will bear you a son, and you are to name him Yochanan. He will be a joy and a delight to you, and many people will rejoice when he is born, for he will be great in the sight of Adonai... He will turn many of the people of Yisra'el to Adonai their God. He will go out ahead of Adonai in the spirit and power of Eliyahu to turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready for Adonai a people prepared... I am Gavri'el... and I stand in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you, to give you this good news." (Lk 1:8-19) Before continuing, go back up the page and compare this prophecy with that spoken of Eliyahu.
It is this prophecy about Yochanan, along with a couple of other prophecies from the Older Covenant, to which Y'shua refers in His response to the talmidim in Matthew 17:11-13. Y'shua states clearly and unequivocally, as David Stern interprets it in the Complete Jewish Bible, "On the one hand, Eliyahu is coming and will restore all things; On the other hand, I tell you that Eliyahu has come already, and the people did not recognize him but did whatever they pleased to him." and then we read: "And the talmidim understood that [Y'shua] was talking to them about Yochanan the Immerser." [I should point out that the phrases "on the one hand" and "on the other hand" are additions implanted by Strong in the CJB to provide some clarity.]
The other prophecies referred to go back to the time of the prophets - Isaiah and Malachi. First, some 700 years before the time of Y'shua, Isaiah the Prophet (Yesha'Yahu ha Navi) under the direction and Spirit of God, had prophesied about a 'herald' who would be found in the desert wilderness, and who would announce the coming of the Messiah. He recorded his words thus: "A voice is calling, 'Clear the way for the Lord in the Wilderness, make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; and let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley'..." Then, around 450 BCE, Malachi added some information to that word when he prophesied that God would "send [His] messenger and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His Temple." (3:1)
While this initial prophecy of Malachi (3:1) speaks briefly of a prophet who will be a herald of the Messiah, we have also seen other words by Malachi (in chapter 4, verses 5 & 6 as per above) which refer to a time when God would send Eliyahu ha Navi before the coming of the "Great and Terrible Day of the Lord". Y'shua's answer to the talmidim, therefore, encompasses both prophecies, both occurrences, as it were. First, the "on the one hand" phrase refers to the prophecy of the return of Messiah in the end times, when He comes as the Triumphant King - Meshiach ben David (see below). Then, the "on the other hand" phrase refers to the prophecies of Malachi 3:1, Isaiah 40 and also to Gavri'el's words to Z'kharyah which speak of a messenger whose role is to herald, and thus clear the way for, the Messiah, an event which is initiated by Y'shua's birth in Beth Lechem, and a role which had been fulfilled by Yochanan the Immerser at the Yarden (Jordan [River]). It is this role of Yochanan as herald which gives rise to the questions to which we are responding now.
In this second phrase of His response, ("on the other hand, I tell you that Eliyahu has come already"), Y'shua is pointing out that, Eliyahu has come, not personally, not in the flesh as it were, but in and through the ministry of Yochanan the Immerser. That is to say that when Yochanan, spoke to the large crowds, he ministered "in the spirit and power" of Eliyahu, and he was fulfilling that role of 'herald' in the place of Eliyahu,
In other words, it was not that Yochanan WAS Eliyahu, (he did, in fact, deny that very thing when questioned) but rather that his ministry of preparing the people for the first coming of the Messiah was the continuation of the mission of Eliyahu, just as he would have accomplished it if he were there, just as Malachi had prophesied it to the people of his time, just as Isaiah had proclaimed it to the people of his time, and just as Gavri'el had foretold it to Z'kharyah,... and he was doing it all in the same God-given power, and the same God-given Spirit as Eliyahu had displayed in his earlier ministry hundreds of years earlier.
Interestingly, it is precisely this 'being Eliyahu-like, but not the actual Eliyahu, that caused most of the Jewish people of Y'shua's time to miss the truth about both Yochanan AND Y'shua. They may have been 'watching for' Eliyahu - as attested to by the annual repetition of setting a place for him at the annual Pesach Seder table, and by going to the door to 'look' for him (a practice which still continues today, every year, in properly observant Jewish and Messianic homes) - but because he came in an unexpected way, he was over-looked.
The first phrase of Y'shua's response, ("On the one hand, Eliyahu IS coming, and will restore all things") a prophecy yet to be fulfilled, refers to the actual return (for believing Christians and Messianics) or, (for the Jewish community), the first coming, of the Messiah in the End Days. In that "Great and Terrible Day of the Lord", Eliyahu ha Navi will come to proclaim the final warnings of God's impending justice. He will once again be accompanied by (I believe) Moshe, as he was on the mountain top with Y'shua, and Eliyahu and Moshe will prophesy for 3 and a 1/2 years (1260 days or 42 months) during the Time of Tribulation. [NOTE: following this period will come a second period of 1260 days, the Time of Great Tribulation, as God heats up his warning system to all as yet unbelievers].
Their appearance is prophesied in Zechariah's book, (the second last book of the Older Covenant in the English Bible) in Chapter 4, verses 2-3 and 11 and 14) which read: "I see, and behold a lampstand all of gold,... also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side... Then I answered and said to him [i.e. God's messenger] 'What are these two olive trees?'... Then he said, 'These are the two anointed ones, who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.'" In the Book of The Revelation to John, we read about how this will come to pass. John is speaking about his revelatory vision and the message of God: "I was given a measuring rod, like a stick and told, 'Get up and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count how many people are worshipping there! But the court outside the Temple, leave that out; don't measure it; because it has been given to the Goyim, ([the Other or 70] Nations), and they will trample over the holy city for forty two months. Also, I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two menorahs standing before the Lord of the earth."
So - What have we discovered through this study?
First of all, I hope we can now agree that when Y'shua indicates that Yochanan the Immerser was actually Eliyahu, fulfilling the prophecies of the Older Covenant prophets, it simply means that Yochanan's mission to the people of God was a continuation of what Eliyahu had begun. In fact, Yochanan was empowered by God's Ruach ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit), just as Eliyahu had been empowered by the same Spirit. [There is One Body, One Spirit, One Voice, One God]. Y'shua also indicates that, in the same way, the further prophecies will also be fulfilled by a mightily empowered pair of witnesses, Eliyahu and [likely] Moshe who will continue their mission, by crying out a warning to the people that God's mercy is coming to an end, and that His wrath and justice are about to be experienced. (By the way, these two witnesses will once again appear to die, and then be [re-] assumed into heaven before the astounded eyes of the crowds around them. {see Rev, 11:7-12}
Secondly, we have seen that this is not a case of getting power from the dead, (nor from ancestors, or some other demonic force such as Hollywood would show us). We have seen that a case can be made, first of all, that certainly Eliyahu and Enoch, and possibly Moshe did not 'die' as we understand death, and so they continue, or alternatively that their heavenly bodies allow them to continue, the ministry to which God called them for His purposes, just as Y'shua continues His ministry with the talmidim (and us) after His death. In fact, it occurs to me as I write this, that perhaps that is precisely WHY they were assumed into heaven - - because their work was not yet complete, but would involve a yet-to-be-realized, end-time mission... Hmmmm.?!
And Finally, we have shown that ALL power to do Godly ministry, whether it deals with Prophecy or Evangelism, or Healing, or Prayer or simply Helping your neighbour paint his barn or Driving a cancer patient to her weekly treatments... ALL power to minister to others in a Godly way, originates from God. All the prophets, angelic messengers and Divine witnesses whom God has sent, God first empowered to do what He called them to do. They have all acknowledged this point in their own writings. (See for instance Isaiah 6:8-11 or Jeremiah 1:4-7). We have affirmed all this by examples from both the Older Covenant and the Newer, that whatever power they did have, or do have, or will have, - whether Eliyahu, or Yochanan or angelic messengers, or you or me and even the two 'olive tree' witnesses - that power comes directly, directly from God Himself.
= = = =================
NOTES:
The "SEASC", (see acknowledgements below) is a compilation of the entire Torah (Pentateuch, or first five books). It also contains particular passages from the prophets and other writings of the Tenakh. These passages are all grouped in accordance with the weekly reading assignment (parsha) for the Torah The Chumash includes both the Hebrew and English texts as well as commentary from a more 'orthodox' Jewish point of view written by a myriad of ancient and modern sages and scholars.
"Rashi" is an acronym for Rabbi Shlomo (Solomon) Yitzhaki, a highly esteemed 11th century commentator on the Tenakh (Older Covenant). He came from the Ashkenazi tradition (as opposed to the Sephardic stream of Judaism which I tend to favour in terms of liturgy and pronunciations). His works include complete commentary on both the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud. He is famous for uncovering the "basic meaning" of a passage.
"Targum and "Targum Yonasan": A Targum is an ancient, originally oral, and later written, rabbinic interpretation of what a particular passage of Scripture means. Targums (Targumim?) came in various parts or versions, often named after the Rabbi who said it, or wrote it, or perhaps after something that the text might be about.(This one sounds like it originated from a Swedish Rabbi, but I somehow doubt that that is what Yonasan means.) They weren't necessarily the "last word" however, as different Rabbis recorded different interpretations. The ancient Targumim eventually were included in the Talmud I believe.
The CJB is the Complete Jewish Bible. It is a Messianic set of Scriptures which has the Older Covenant in the order of the Tenakh and the Newer Covenant as per "English" Bibles. It is the work of David Strong, a Messianic Scholar and Rabbi who also created the "Strong's Exhaustive Concordance".
The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord: Three of the "minor" prophets of the Tenakh (Joel, Zephaniah and Malachi) all refer to a time which is coming using this or similar terminology. Sometimes it gets 'laundered' by modern interpreters in today's versions of the Bible. It is not meant to be just a particular day, but more like a period of time. The use of 'Day" implies that it is a set period however The terms used include The Day of the Lord, and the Great Day of the Lord, referring, I believe, to the initiation of the Time of Tribulation and then the Great and Terrible (or various synonyms such as wrathful, etc) Day of the Lord, which may initiate the second half of the Great Tribulation, (the last 3 1/2 years) or it may refer to the Day of Judgement, when we stand before El Shaddai to answer for our lives.
With respect to the Two Witnesses. In fairness to scholarly research, some Biblical scholars believe that instead of Moshe, the second "Olive Tree" will be Enoch. I refer the reader to the NASV Study Bible commentary on Revelation 11:4. This is why I spent some time discussing his assumption.
And finally, a note on "Assumption" ... While some so-called scholars decry the whole concept, I firmly, FIRMLY, believe that there will, at some point in the end times, be one great Assumption in which all believers will be assumed into the heavenly realm. You might better know it as the "Rapture".
= = = ===================
Some Acknowledgements:
To my dear friend Liz, for the original inquiry,
To the Stone Edition Art Scroll Chumash, without which I would be virtually lost (not salvation wise, just in terms of wisdom)
To the New International Version, the New American Standard Version Bibles, and the Complete Jewish Bible which are all tremendous sources of knowledge, The NASV Bible is perhaps one of the most reliable interpretations of our Scriptures available today. I would rank it as equivalent with the New Revised Version of the Bible.
To the Jewish Book of Knowledge, published when,,, I don't know... because I don't have it with me...
To whatever means I have at hand to delve into the Talmud and its various sections - usually third hand, but still 'fun' to do,
To our church's Ladies Bible study group, that 'forces' me out of the house so that I can do this..... and
To the Minden Public Library, which offers free wireless internet and makes all this possible.... Thanks!
= = = ================================================= = = =