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WEEK 2: In the home of Elisabeth

Sunday (Day 8)

VERSES: Malachi 4:5-6, Isaiah 40:3-5, Luke 1:16-17,Matthew 17:11-13

At the very end of the Old Testament, in Malachi 4:5-6, we see an intriguing prophecy. Before the “great and awesome Day of the LORD comes,” Elijah will appear and serve a prophetic role of preparing people for the arrival of the Day of the LORD.

A few questions must be asked of this passage. First, what is the “Day of the LORD”? In the Old Testament, this spoke of the day when Messiah would come and judge the earth and establish His Kingdom reign.

Second, we might ask, is the Old Testament prophet Elijah really going to come back to life and have a second go ‘round of ministry BEFORE Messiah establishes His kingdom? It seems the answer to this is “not exactly,” but that one would come in the “spirit and power of Elijah” to fulfill this role before Messiah comes.

Third, we might ask, who this Elijah-like person was or will be? Studying the Scripture from the vantage point of the 21st century, we are blessed with a perspective not had by the Old Testament authors. We know that Messiah was going to come not only once, but twice! Jesus, the Messiah, came once to die on the cross for our sins, and He will come a second time to establish His Kingdom on the earth. Since Jesus came/is coming twice, there actually are TWO instances where someone runs ahead of Jesus preparing the way for His arrival. At His first coming, it was John the Baptist, and at His second coming, it appears to be the two witnesses of Revelation 11:1-13. Interestingly, both sets, like Jesus Himself, would/will be martyred for their faith.

So, why do we get into all this today? Well, in Luke’s Gospel, where we get the most information in the Bible about Jesus’ birth, we also get an extended section on the birth of John the Baptist. Why? Because Luke goes to great lengths to show that our God is faithful to His promises and prophecies. God said that Elijah would come, and indeed John the Baptist came in an Elijah-like role before Jesus began His public ministry. God’s Word is true about all it speaks … including the future!

Over the next few days, we will see more of the birth of John and the interactions between John’s mother Elizabeth and Mary, the mother of Jesus.