Table of Contents
End Time Proof
Now IN the End-Time
The Ten Virgins
The Spiritual Temple
The Man of Sin
Final Eras of the Church
Desolation of the Temple
The End-Time Elijah- Fulfilled
Unveiling the Book of Revelation
Clarifying the Seals of Revelation
First Five Seals Opened
The Sixth Seal of Revelation
The Opening of the 7th Seal
A Time for Two Witnesses
The Revelation of God's Plan for Mankind
Introduction (Plan of God)
The 7th Day Sabbath
Passover
Unleavened Bread
Pentecost
Trumpets
Atonement
Feast of Tabernacles
Last Great Day
End-Time Elijah- Fulfilled (Malachi 4)
A prophecy of profound importance for the Church today is referred to by Jesus Christ when he told his disciples, "Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things" (Matthew 17:11). This prophecy concerning an Elijah to come was to occur before a final great tribulation could come on this world as a final judgment on mankind at the close of 6,000 years of human history. God said, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:" (Malachi 4:5).
This end-time proof contains fewer scriptures than the previous proofs, but it may very well prove to be one of the most important areas of prophecy that needs to be understood by the Church today.
It is likely that most of the scattered Church today would not acknowledge this proof as being fulfilled prophecy, let alone acknowledge it as being critically important to our salvation, which it is, and that will be explained as we go through this proof. Denying this proof would be tantamount to denying the truth that God has revealed to His Church in these end-times.
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." (Malachi 4:5-6).
These verses, of and by themselves, are not sufficient to understand the importance of this prophecy. Other verses that speak of this fulfillment must be examined along with this prophetic announcement that is to be accomplished before the "coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD."
Debate has fluctuated within the environs of the Church as to whether or not Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong fulfilled this prophecy of the end-time Elijah. Rather than get bogged down with all the arguments pro and con, it would be better to simply focus on what is true concerning this subject as well as what is true about our history that is in agreement with this subject.
Don't Confuse Scripture
Sometimes people become confused with what is being stated in other related scriptures and this prophetic announcement in Malachi. A long-time evangelist in the Church recently gave a sermon on this subject and was himself confused about these scriptures.
Don't confuse this prophecy in Malachi with things said about John the Baptist.
"And his disciples asked him, saying, 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 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." (Matthew 17:10-13).
John the Baptist was not involved in any restoration, but he did come in the spirit and power of Elijah to accomplish part of a dual fulfillment concerning the prophecy of an Elijah to come. It is really quite simple because John was to pave the way for the first-coming of Jesus Christ- doing so in the spirit and power of Elijah. But the prophecy is dual because another person was to come in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the way for the second-coming of Jesus Christ.
Part of the purpose in this duality is revealed by Gabriel as Zacharias is being told about his future son, John. "And 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." (Luke 1:17). John the Baptist would be involved with helping to make a people ready for Jesus Christ's first coming.
This verse is simply showing part of the process involved as people are turned from their own ways, through repentance, to the ways of God. Those referred to as the "fathers" are those mentioned in the Old Testament who embraced the righteousness of God- whose hearts had been turned to God- whose lives are written in scripture as instruction and inspiration in the ways of God. The same spirit that worked with these men of old, "the fathers," was now working with their descendants, "the children," so that their hearts could now be turned to God and prepared for Jesus Christ.
Another person was to come before the end of this age who would fulfill the other part of the duality in these prophecies by preparing a people for the second-coming of Jesus Christ.
Another area of scripture that some confuse with these prophecies about an "Elijah to come" is found in Acts. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." (Acts 3:19-26).
This prophecy concerning Jesus Christ should not be confused with prophecy concerning an "Elijah to come." The disciples asked Jesus about an Elijah to come. "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things" (Matthew 17:11). When Jesus said Elijah would restore all things, he wasn't referring to himself or to the "times of restitution of all things" spoken of in Acts 3.
Acts 3 concerns the time when the Kingdom of God comes to this earth, when the government and law (way) of God is restored. That is something that will be accomplished by and through Jesus Christ as King of kings.
Don't be mistaken, as others have, concerning the Elijah to come. The times of restitution of all things spoken of in Acts is not the same account; instead, it refers to a time that begins when the Kingdom of God has come to this earth. Understand that there is duality involved in the "Elijah to come," as John the Baptist fulfills the first part of this prophecy concerning a people being prepared for the first-coming of Jesus Christ. But before the Kingdom of God would come to this earth, another person would come in the spirit and power of Elijah preparing a people for the second-coming of Jesus Christ.
The Elijah to Come
When the disciples asked about the Elijah to come spoken of in Malachi, Jesus added an important description about his function. It is the most important thing to understand in order to identify who this person would be.
The disciples had asked Jesus Christ about the prophecy of Malachi right after the transfiguration when some of them witnessed a vision concerning the coming Kingdom of God. Before the Kingdom of God should come, they knew it was written that an Elijah was to come on the scene first. "Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:" (Malachi 4:5). The coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD must occur before the Kingdom of God is established.
This Elijah to come would fulfill a duality with John by helping to prepare a people for the coming of Jesus Christ- in this case the second-coming. These people would also have to come to repentance and have their hearts turned to the ways of God just as their "fathers" of old had done. This matter is a spiritual one, although the fruit of it should also help produce a similar result in a physical family as the hearts of parents are turned more to their children by living God's way.
So, in the end-time a person would come in the spirit and power of Elijah to help prepare a people for the second-coming of Jesus Christ. The "heart of the fathers"- that attitude of mind and spirit of righteous men of old who had a close relationship with God- was now being opened up to (turned to) those that God called in this end-time. As people responded to that calling, their hearts were turned to receive that same spirit of "the heart of the fathers."
What did Jesus Christ add to this prophecy? "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things" (Matthew 17:11). This Elijah would be involved in restoring all things. This did not apply to John the Baptist in any way. Nothing was restored through John the Baptist.
This is not a difficult matter to understand in the true Church of God. All who are led by the spirit of God- all who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ living in them- will understand the truth of this matter, for it is of vital importance to God's people. Those who have a right relationship with God will be led by God's spirit to see what is true. This is absolute! If anyone cannot see this, then there is a reason why. A lack of God's spirit dwelling in them is the reason. One can be begotten into the Church, but can quench God's spirit in their lives and become weak, sickly, and spiritually asleep.
The understanding of who fulfills this "Elijah to come" is most basic to the Church of God in the end-time. This will be understood by all who grasp the history of the true Church of God over the past few decades.
This matter was touched upon in the article "The Final Eras of the Church." It is needful that part of that be quoted again:
"As was previously mentioned, God told Sardis that it was spiritually dead and that the truth they had remaining was dying out. If God had allowed that to happen, the Church would not have survived to the return of Jesus Christ. But God has made it plain that the Church would be alive at Christ's return and that the gates of hell could not prevail against it. So the Church had to be revived. Truth that was dying out had to be restored.
This restoration of truth, which occurred during the leadership of Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong and the period of time we know as Philadelphia, should be an easy thing to acknowledge. Yes, God revealed foundational truth to His Church once again. This era kept His word and did not deny His name. Sardis was known for just the opposite- letting the word of God die out as they themselves were dying spiritually- denying the life of God to live in and through them.
Our history is a testimony to the truth that God used Mr. Armstrong to restore truth to His Church. Doors were opened by God that made this task possible- doors that no one could shut. Scriptures foretold of an Elijah to come who would restore all things. Today, people argue over this rather than acknowledge the truth of what is apparent- again, more proof that the word of God agrees with our history as being the true Church of God spoken of in prophecy.
Jesus was asked by his disciples about the Elijah to come. "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things" (Matthew 17:11). What needed to be restored before Jesus Christ could return to this earth? A great sign that we would be at that end-time would be when this occurred. It is a needful part of the history of the Church! God revealed that the truth would die out toward the end and the Church would begin to die spiritually. In order to prevent that from happening, God restored all truth necessary for salvation that would once again give life to His Church. Truly, the Elijah would first come and restore that truth to the Church. Can anyone deny what God performed through His end-time apostle during the era of Philadelphia?"
To deny that Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong was the Elijah to come before the end-time is either ignorant or willing denial of what is true concerning our history and what God did through him. It is God who restored necessary truth to the Church so that a people would be ready for the second-coming of Jesus Christ. God said that the "gates of hell" would not prevail against His Church. The Church could not die out before Jesus Christ returned, yet that was exactly what was happening toward the end of Sardis. God saw to it that His word remained true (the Church would not die out) because He restored truth to His people through an end-time Elijah. What could be more basic?
It is not a light thing for anyone in the environs of the Church to deny or be uncommitted in this matter of Mr. Armstrong being the end-time Elijah. The fact that foundational truth was restored in these end-times and that such a thing could only be accomplished by God is truly a matter of acknowledging (confessing) or denying God.
Why do so many refuse or resist the clarity of truth concerning this matter? The answer should be plain. It is all a matter of the spirit and our true relationship with God. Do you see it? If you do, thank God, because there is only one way you can.
This may well prove to be the most important of all the proofs covered showing that we are in the end-time. The reason? ...Because it will reveal much about our attitudes toward the foundational truths restored by God Almighty to His people. Do we see a man or do we see God?
This article has been very much to the point, geared more to those who have a history, over the past decade or longer, in the true Church of God. There is no excuse for any to deny what should be an obvious truth. More will be stated toward the end of this booklet about how God used Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong in this end-time as the prophesied "Elijah to come."
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