 Sometimes as Christians, we're faced with things that just don't make sense. I'm going to cover two things that don't really make sense. Every now and then we come across passages in the Bible that are difficult and sometimes a little bit weird if we're honest to understand. And there's a particular passage in here. As a matter of fact, the passage that we're looking at, if we look at it in context, the context is also difficult to understand. And that is in Matthew chapter 11. Let's start at verse 12. We've got to go through a few different passages, multiple passages as a matter of fact to kind of flesh this out. But it says, from the days of John, the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent men take it by force or the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elisha who was to come. Now, we're not going to deal with the kingdom of God suffers violence. We've covered that before and that is kind of tricky and is usually misapplied. But the passage that is stated in verse 14. And if you are willing to accept that John himself is Elijah who was to come. So the question is, was John Elijah how so? Well, Jesus said, if you're willing to accept it, but how could that possibly be? There are some that will say or try to bring up that John was Elijah reincarnate. Well, no, there's no reincarnation. As a matter of fact, that was not even a thought for these Jews at that time. And so Jesus is talking to that wasn't the point to kind of figure out what he means is we got to go back and look at some other passages as well. As a matter of fact, we're going to eventually go to the Old Testament. But I want to look at some other passages about this to kind of see if we can get some greater understanding. So let's go to Mark chapter nine, verse 11. They asked him saying, why is this that the scribe say that Elijah must come first? And he said to them, Elijah does come first and restore all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of man, that he will suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I say to you that Elijah has indeed come and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him. Now he states that he came, he did come. This is past tense. So Elijah did come. Well, what are you talking about? Are you talking about the prophet Elijah did come or someone else? Well, let's go to the Old Testament for a second, look at a few things and then come back to the New Testament. Let's go to Malachi chapter three, verse one. Behold, I am going to send my messenger and he will clear the way before me and I the Lord, I'm sorry, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight. Behold, he is coming says the Lord. So the question is, this seems to be referring to someone coming to prepare the way of the Lord. Well, who do we know does that? As a matter of fact, let's stay in Malachi and let's go to Malachi chapter four, verse five. Behold, I am sent. I'm going to send you Elijah. Well, at this time Elijah is dead. Elijah is gone. I should say Elijah has been taken up. So what do you mean by this? I'm going to send to you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers so that I will not come and smite the land with the curse. That didn't really help to clarify, does it? As a matter of fact, it might seem to kind of muddy the waters, but let's let's let's muddy them a little bit more and continue. Let's go back to the New Testament. Let's go back to John. I'm sorry, let's go to John. They're going to ask John the Baptist, is he Elijah? Now Jesus says that John is this Elijah to come. If you will, if you have ears, if you'll let it be. Well, they asked John. They said to John, what then are you Elijah? And he said, I am not. Are you the prophet? And he answered, no. They said, who are you so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? So he's not Elijah, but when you say that he's coming in the power or the spirit of Elijah, that is important. So the question, does he come in the spirit of Elijah? Well, when you say someone comes in the spirit of Elijah or in the power of Elijah, well, what that really means is that it's kind of idiomatic. You're coming to be like an Elijah. Now, why do I say coming in the spirit of Elijah and that it really means to be like Elijah? Well, in Luke one, starting in verse 16, speaking of him, he says, and he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. It is he who will go as a forerunner before him, for who before Jesus, in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children. So this seems to be clearly speaking of John the Baptist, who was a forerunner, just like what's spoken of in Malachi. There's a little bit more that's added in Malachi. We'll go back and look at that in just a little bit, but comes the forerunner, kind of making way, preparing the way and so forth. And there's a lot of similarities between John the Baptist and Elijah. John the Baptist, we believe, came in the spirit of or the power of Elijah, like an Elijah. Obviously, both of these men had the Holy Spirit working in them and on them, but just kind of a really quick, brief look at how these two are similar. Well, one, both of their arrivals were both predicted, so that's one similarity, and they're both preparing the way for the people, trying to turn the hearts of the people, preaching to them a gospel or message of repentance. Both of those did the same thing. Also, interestingly enough, they both dressed alike. Another similarity is that they had to deal with the rulers of their time. John, with the Pharisees and those in leadership, so too did Elijah. Now, the interesting thing about Elijah, though, there seems to be more, it seems to be more, and this is kind of where it gets a little difficult, a little weird, there seems to be more of a future in store for Elijah. Going back to Elijah, I'm sorry, to Malachi 4-5 says, behold, I'm going to send you Elijah, the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day. Well, this seems to be speaking of this great tribulation that's going to be coming, but it says, he will restore the hearts of the fathers of their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with the curse. Is this possibly speaking of the great tribulation, the end times as well? Let's go back to chapter 3 verse 1. I'm going to send my message, and he will clear the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come into his temple, and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears, for he is like a refinish fire and like fuller soap? He will sit as a smelter and purified and purified of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of all his informed years. Now, he's not speaking of Elijah at this moment, or whoever this is going to be, he's speaking of what Jesus is going to do, and so he's going to come at this time as well when this is happening. Well, when is this going to happen? Well, this is going to happen, the issues or the things that are going to be taking place. These are end time events, so this seems to be that there's an Elijah or the actual Elijah, we don't know, because if God wants to bring back the Elijah he could, I don't think it is going to be the Elijah, but again someone like a John the Baptist, another forerunner who is going to prepare the way. Possibly, is this one of the two witnesses? It may very well be, because this is going to be happening at the end when things are pretty bad, a lot of destruction happening to turn the people's back, turn them back to God, and it says, notice what it says though, that in chapter 3 verse 1, he says, and suddenly, you will seek him, he will suddenly come to his temple, so there's going to be him either or not. Could this be speaking of, and maybe there's a dual, a dual fulfillment in this with Jesus in the temple during that day, and then when the third temple is built, is that possible what's happening? It could be as well. We know there's going to be a forerunner when he returns again, is that going to be the person that comes in the spirit of Elijah? Is that the case? Not totally sure, we do know this though, this why I'm not too sure it's going to actually be Elijah. Remember in John, I'm sorry not John, Matthew chapter 17, and let's go to the transfiguration. Let's start in verse 2, and he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him. Now Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here, if you wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. So they were literally there while he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud saying, this is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him. When the disciples heard this, they fell on their face. They fell face down to the ground and were terrified. And Jesus came to them and basically picked up some gift guys. I'm not eating the rest, but he said, get up. So here we see Elijah and Moses show up, but interestingly enough, and this is why I'm not too sure that this might be the actual Elijah showing up, and that might be the two witnesses could be. This is why people do speculate about the two witnesses being Elijah and Moses because they showed up there. The problem is though, the reason why you could see people from the dead return is because Jesus had not ascended. Remember, Jesus makes a statement that no one has ascended to heaven. No one has gone up, no one except him who has come down. And then Jesus makes a statement that he hadn't gone up just yet, but he's going to go up and he takes captivity on high. And so we don't see anyone at that point in time, be it Elijah, be it Moses, be it Samuel, we don't see anyone who is no longer in the land of the living brought back to the land for whatever reason. But does that mean that Elijah doesn't, Elijah himself, the Elijah, Elijah, the prophet doesn't have an actual future ministry as well? We're not sure. We're not sure if it's the Elijah or someone like John the Baptist coming in the power of Elijah. We have no idea. We're just not totally sure. What I will say this is that when it does happen, it'll make sense. Oh, okay, I get it now. Just like as John is coming and John is preaching this, I mean, this message of repentance, then people get it. Same thing at that point in time, the messenger is going to, or the messengers are going to preach a message of repentance and they will heed it and they will know, okay, yeah, this is exactly what was spoken of in the Word of God in the Old Testament as well as the new. So to answer the question, was John the Baptist Elijah well in the same spirit and power of Elijah? Yes. He was like an Elijah, but he was not the Elijah because he says he wasn't. Is there another Elijah to come? I think that's probably safe to say just listen to what Malachi is preaching. I think that's the case. So how is it going to be? We don't know. And so there's one of those moments where guys we have to say, I'm not really sure. I'm not totally sure how this is going to work out, but when it does, it'll be crystal clear that, oh, yes, this is a fulfillment of prophecy. Now, as I said, I'm going to cover two things that don't make sense. I've already covered the main thing that's in the Bible. The second thing that doesn't make sense is kind of weird, hard to explain is what in the world is this on my shirt? How come no one told me that there's some junk or whatever this is on my shirt? I don't know if it's like some pigeon droppings or some dried paint that fell. I don't know what this is, but you guys let me go through this entire video with this dirty shirt. I want to thank you guys. I love you anyway, but I'm a bit disappointed that you guys just did not let me know that I had this on my shirt, but I love you anyway.