Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-07-08

Ill DIS teacnlng) JONI dld not under
stand that he was Elijah, (see John
]: 2D for he knew that he had not
been told to do all that the scriptures
pointed out for Elijah. He did, how
ever, declare what God had told him to
do, and pointed to his place in proph-
ecy.
Jesus, however, knew better than
John who and what John was, and
tells us in Matt. II: 10, that John is
the Messenger of the Covenant God
had made with man: /. e., that He
would send redeemer and save the
world. He goes further and says
''this is the Elijah who is to come"
(versc 14.)
Note here, his coming in the future
and not in the past tense in the Greek,
and in the revised version also. See
also in Matt. II: 1913 where the dis.
ciples understood that Jesus was the
king who was to then reign and exc,
cute Judgment upon the wicked: they
ask why the scribes say Elijah must
come before this fulfillment. Jesus
said "Elijah truly cometh first, and
shall restore all things: but | say unto
you, that Elijah is come already and
| they knew him not, but have done un.
| to him whatsoever they listcd:' then
the disciples understood that he spoke
of John the Baptist.
Now in this scripture Jesus says that
Elijah is there already, and that he is
yet to restore all things" John had
not done this and had already been be-
headed. Gabriels testimony concern
ing John as given in Luke /: 16, II,
agrees with this exactly, i. e. MANY
OF the children of Israel shall he turn
unto the Lord their God And he shall
go before His face in the spirit and
power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of
the fathers to the children, and the
disobedient to walk in the wisdom of
the just" Evidently John did not 90
all of this work of Elijah. He did do
what this 18th verse says, but not in
the 18th. That was to be done at a
later mission Of Elijah. In Malachi 4th
chapter you will see that Elijah is to
do what is promised in Luke 1;17, Just
before the great and dreadful day
of the Lord" while John did what is
promised in Luke 1: 49,
Jesus coming in the flesh was, as He
declared it to be in Luke, 4th chapter
where he quotes from lisa. 81: 1, "the
acceptable year of the Lord" In this
visit of Jesus to the world the spirit
of Elijah moved John to prepare the
people to receive Jesus, by preaching
repent for the Kingdom of God is at
hand"
Now the return of Jesus ito Judge
the world" and to execute vengeance
upon the ungodly, will be ''the great
and dreadful day Of the Lord descrb,
ed in Malachi, 4th chapter, just be,
fore which God is to send Elijah. to
prepare people to meet the Lord, lest
the Lord come and smite the earth
with Il curse" This will be the work
of restoring all things which God had
commanded the people to observe, but
from which they have gone away.
The time in which this restoration
of all things" is to take place is fixed
beyond doubt by Acts 3: 20, 81. II
is to be just before Jesus returns from
the heavens: "In like manner as ye
have seen Him go into Heaven" (See
Acts 1: III. Jesus says very plainly
that it is Elijah who is to ''restore all
things" lest the Lord "smite the earth
with curse" This return of Elijah,
Is the prophet spoken of in Duet 1S:
II to 20, and to whom reference is
made in Acts 8; %, %.
That prophet shall be the Messenger
of the Eternal Covenant Of God which
has become disregarded and forgotten
by the people. God says. He shah
speak unto them all that | shall com
mand him. And 1t shall come to pass
that whosoever will not hearken unto
my words which he shall speak in my
name, will require 1t of him."
Elijah has ever been the messenger
of the Covenant, and is still. He ap-
peared by his spirit resting upon John
the Baptist (see Matt. IL: T-16, Mark
1: Is, Luke 4 26-29, and John L. %. }
Malachi 81 from which those texts
quote, speaks of the Messenger of the
Covenant going before the face of the
Lord, and mentions his coming twice.
both before the Lord "has come 10 His
temple and after: and the work
which he Is to do after the Lord "has