In the biblical prophecy of the Old Testament, everything that is part of God’s entire Plan of Salvation has been foretold, whether it is about Israel, the Church, or about the nations, and also what would happen at the first coming of the Redeemer and what will come to pass at His Second Coming and thereafter.

In Luke 24, the risen Lord revealed to His disciples that all that had been written about Him in the law, in the psalms, and in the prophets had come to pass. And then He gave them the understanding to be able to know all those things. Even now, everything that is written in the Old and New Testament for this period of time is being fulfilled, and the faithful Lord has opened our understanding for it. By the grace of God, we may recognize the promises that were fulfilled back then and which ones are being fulfilled in our time.

For example, in Mt 3:3 we find the confirmation that God fulfilled the promise from Isa 40:3 with John: “For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of the one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”

At the first coming of Christ, the first part of Mal 3:1 was also fulfilled through the ministry of John the Baptist: “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me …” Our Lord confirmed this in Mt 11:9-10: “For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.” The second part of Mal 3:1 will not take place until the Temple is built: “… and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.”

In Mt 17, we read about the transfiguration of our Redeemer before the eyes of the three disciples and about the appearance of Moses and Elijah. Then the disciples asked our Lord, “Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?”

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.”

But right afterward He said, “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. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.” (vv. 10-13).

According to Lk 1:17, John the Baptist fulfilled the first part of the promise given through the Prophet Malachi: “And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children (Mal 4:6a), and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Jesus wept over Jerusalem because His chosen people Israel did not recognize the gracious visitation of God and what took place at that time according to the Word, “Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” (Lk 19:42-44). The scribes refused to be baptized by John and thus rejected the counsel of God (Lk 7:30). Because the rabbis have not recognized even until this day which promise was fulfilled at that time, the Jews are still waiting for Elijah to come. That is why an empty chair and a cup filled with wine are waiting for him at every Passover celebration.

However, the people of Israel have been promised two prophets who will come on the scene in Jerusalem, as represented in Zec 4 by the two olive trees standing next to the candlestick (v. 3). The explanation in the prophetic Word reads: “Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.” (v. 14). We find the fulfillment in the ministry of the two prophets, who are reminiscent of Moses and Elijah, in Rev 11:4: “These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.”

We thank God for giving us the correct biblical placement of prophecy by His grace. Through the special ministry of John the Baptist, who was promised for the first coming of the Redeemer, the Old Testament fathers were led to the faith of the New Testament children. That ministry was one hundred percent in the Will of God according to the Word of God, and it was the only way that a well-prepared people could be presented to the Lord at His first coming.

The second part of the promise in Mal 4:5 is now being fulfilled, as our Lord announced it in Mt 17:11 and Mk 9:12: Through the ministry, like the one Elijah had, the hearts of the children of God are brought back to the faith of the apostolic fathers. This is the actual purpose of the last message, so that the Lord can take home a well-prepared people at His Return.

In the biblical prophecy of the Old Testament, everything that is part of God’s entire Plan of Salvation has been foretold, whether it is about Israel, the Church, or about the nations, and also what would happen at the first coming of the Redeemer and what will come to pass at His Second Coming and thereafter.

In Luke 24, the risen Lord revealed to His disciples that all that had been written about Him in the law, in the psalms, and in the prophets had come to pass. And then He gave them the understanding to be able to know all those things. Even now, everything that is written in the Old and New Testament for this period of time is being fulfilled, and the faithful Lord has opened our understanding for it. By the grace of God, we may recognize the promises that were fulfilled back then and which ones are being fulfilled in our time.

For example, in Mt 3:3 we find the confirmation that God fulfilled the promise from Isa 40:3 with John: “For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of the one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”

At the first coming of Christ, the first part of Mal 3:1 was also fulfilled through the ministry of John the Baptist: “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me …” Our Lord confirmed this in Mt 11:9-10: “For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.” The second part of Mal 3:1 will not take place until the Temple is built: “… and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.”

In Mt 17, we read about the transfiguration of our Redeemer before the eyes of the three disciples and about the appearance of Moses and Elijah. Then the disciples asked our Lord, “Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?”

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.”

But right afterward He said, “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. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.” (vv. 10-13).

According to Lk 1:17, John the Baptist fulfilled the first part of the promise given through the Prophet Malachi: “And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children (Mal 4:6a), and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Jesus wept over Jerusalem because His chosen people Israel did not recognize the gracious visitation of God and what took place at that time according to the Word, “Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” (Lk 19:42-44). The scribes refused to be baptized by John and thus rejected the counsel of God (Lk 7:30). Because the rabbis have not recognized even until this day which promise was fulfilled at that time, the Jews are still waiting for Elijah to come. That is why an empty chair and a cup filled with wine are waiting for him at every Passover celebration.

However, the people of Israel have been promised two prophets who will come on the scene in Jerusalem, as represented in Zec 4 by the two olive trees standing next to the candlestick (v. 3). The explanation in the prophetic Word reads: “Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.” (v. 14). We find the fulfillment in the ministry of the two prophets, who are reminiscent of Moses and Elijah, in Rev 11:4: “These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.”

We thank God for giving us the correct biblical placement of prophecy by His grace. Through the special ministry of John the Baptist, who was promised for the first coming of the Redeemer, the Old Testament fathers were led to the faith of the New Testament children. That ministry was one hundred percent in the Will of God according to the Word of God, and it was the only way that a well-prepared people could be presented to the Lord at His first coming.

The second part of the promise in Mal 4:5 is now being fulfilled, as our Lord announced it in Mt 17:11 and Mk 9:12: Through the ministry, like the one Elijah had, the hearts of the children of God are brought back to the faith of the apostolic fathers. This is the actual purpose of the last message, so that the Lord can take home a well-prepared people at His Return.