Herbert W. Armstrong taught Malachi 4:5 prophesied “Elijah” would come on the scene in the last days preparing the way for the second coming of Christ. Herbert taught that he fulfilled this Elijah prophecy. Today many of the Armstronism teaching church groups promote this fallacy. Groups led by men like Gerald Flurry, Dave Pack, Dennis Luker, Rod Meredith, Leon Walker, and numerous others. Some even claim they are this Elijah.
I read a piece published by James Malm, a popular blogger last week. Among COG bloggers his site is popular among the Armstrongites, and he promoted this Elijah error once again in his blog. It is a false teaching! Let us examine scripture to see what God and the Bible really says.
Here is what was written on March 3rd in a section of the Blog called More Thoughts on Bible Study;
“Will we receive new understanding with joy and gladness; or will we reject knowledge and stand on our traditions because we disagree with what God is revealing in these last days. It is written that, Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: and Mat 17:11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. An Elijah shall come just before the dreadful time and he SHALL restore ALL things. That clearly implies that there is much that NEEDS restoring!”
Here is the True Doctrine of Christ:
Just as Armstrong used the dishonest tactic of taking verses out of context the writer of this blog carries on the same deception by ending in verse 11 but the words of our Lord, Jesus Christ, continue completing the revelation that the disciples already understood. Read the entire passage from Matthew 17 for yourself and see if what was written above is what is recorded there.
Matthew 11:10-13, 10And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias (Elijah) must first come? 11And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 12But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed.(John had already been killed at this point) Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. 13Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist. (KJV)
Anyone can see that verses 12 and 13 are critical to complete the thought. To cut them out is the same as telling Christ to “shut up” while He talks! Blasphemy!
If anyone wants to know The True Doctrine of Christ, simply study all that God teaches on the subject.
Let us begin in Luke 1:5. Here Gabriel, an angel of God, is sent to John the Baptist’s father, Zacharias, a levite, to tell him his wife Elizabeth would bear a son, and his name would be John. Then Gabriel tells him about John's purpose.
Luke 1:5-17;
5THERE was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. 8And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, 9According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. 11And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13But 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. 14And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 15For 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. 16And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 17And 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. (KJV)
Gabriel brought God’s words to Zacharias and told him John, his son, would fulfill Malachi 4:5. Not another man.
Later in Luke 3:2-6, The calling of John to his commission is recorded by Luke who quotes from Isaiah 40:3, Malachi 3:1 and 4:5;
Luke 3:2-6, 2Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; 4As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. (KJV)
Matthew also explains John’s prophesied commission in Matthew 3:1-3, quoting Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1.
Matthew 3:1-3; 1In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. (KJV)( Esaias is Isaiah)
Christ spoke to two of John the Baptist’s Disciples in Matthew 11:7-10, `again quoting Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1.
Matthew 11:7-10: 7And 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? 8But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. 10For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
Again Christ proclaims the same prophecy that Zacharias made in Luke 3, quoting from the prophets Isaiah and Malachi..
Mark also writes the same thing about who John the Baptist was to be and quotes the same prophets in Mark 1:1-3;
1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; 2As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 3The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Finally, In Mark chapter nine verses 2-9 we read of the transfiguration. Afterward the disciples ask Jesus about what the scribes say, ‘that the Elijah must come first.’ In verses 12 and 13, Christ’s own words put an end to this false teaching of Armstrong. The same thing is recorded by Matthew in Matthew 17:10-13.
Mark 11:12-13; 11And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?
12And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought. 13But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.
Matthew 17:10-13; 10And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? 11And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 12But 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. 13Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
Notice in verse 13, that the disciples already knew Christ was talking of John the Baptist though Christ does not mention him in this passage. Why, because Christ clearly revealed the fact in Matthew 11:14; And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.(KJV)
Therefore, in Christ's own words, the prophesied Elijah has already come and prepared the way for Jesus Christ the Messiah at His first coming as our savior. John the Baptist introduced a new form of remission of sins through water baptism, and announced Christ as our savior who would baptize with the Holy Spirit, thus fulfilling all of the law and prophets as Christ proclaimed in Matthew 11:13;
For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
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