The Spirit of Elijah 4

Article Index

Untitled Document

 

T he Spirit of Elijah 4   [John the Baptist] 

Matthew 17:10-13   And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come?   And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elijah truly shall first come, and restore all things.   But I say unto you, That Elijah 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.

Elijah must first come.   He has been sought by many for a very long period of time.   Even to this day the Jewish people celebrate the Passover with a fourth glass of wine placed on the corner of the table nearest the door.   Earnest expectation is had for the appearing of  this great prophet.   This longing has its roots in the last two verses of the Old Testament.

Malachi 4:5,6   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.

This is the last "speaking of God" for four hundred years!  And when the New Testament begins, it does so with John the Baptist and the Elijah Spirit.

Elijah shall first come, and restore all things.   The Spirit of Elijah is the Spirit of restoration.  Restoration is the current manifestation of the Elijah Spirit.   To reject the work of restoration that has yet to be undertaken in the church, is rejection of both Elijah and the Spirit of Elijah.

But I say unto you, that Elijah has come already.   Jesus was speaking of the Spirit of Elijah that possessed John.

 

T he Birth of John the Baptist

As with many miraculous births in the Bible, John's  is no exception.

Luke 1:11-17   And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.   And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.   But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias:   for thy prayer is heard;  and they wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.   And thou shalt have joy and gladness;  and many shall rejoice at his birth.   For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and he shall drink neither wine nor strong drink;  and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.   And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.   And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 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.

Isaiah 40:3-5   The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.   Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low:   and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:   And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together:   for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

John 1:6   There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

Here was a man that was not sent from God:   he was not called of God:

The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.  

The most persecuted truth ever restored to the Christian Church is water baptism

God gave him a voice.  So many teachings, messages, concepts and words today are not voices;  they are echoes;  they are "repeats";  they are "reruns" of that which others are saying. 

John was an original.   He was a voice.   He was sent from God.

His ministry was to prepare a people for the coming of the Lord:   to prepare a people for the glory of the Lord.   And when this glory comes it will be seen by all flesh together!   The whole world will behold the glory of the Lord.

So it is today.

In the New Testament application, the church finds itself at the altar of incense.   This speaks of prayer, praise and worship, and it is no coincidence that God is speaking so much  in these areas.  A people is being prepared for the second coming of the Lord.   Mountains and hills are being made low;  valleys are being exalted;   crooked places are being made straight;  rough places are being made plain.

And for what purpose?

As surely as the altar of incense was set nearest the ark of the covenant (the vessel that housed the glory of God), so the church is scheduled to be shrouded in the same glory.   It is this glory that will prepare the people of this generation to meet the Lord Jesus Christ at his second coming.


The Ministry of John the Baptist

Matthew 3:1-12   In those days came John the Baptist, preaching the wilderness of Judea, And saying, Repent ye:   for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.   For this is he that was spoken of  by the prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.   And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leather girdle about his loins;  and his meat was locusts and wild honey.   Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, And they were baptised of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.   But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Saducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned ye to flee the wrath that is to come?   Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:   And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father:   for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.   And now also the axe is laid at the root of the trees:   therefore every tree  which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.   I indeed baptise you with water unto repentance:   but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear:   he shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:   Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner;  but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.


Jesus is Baptised by John

Matthew 3:13-17   Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptised of him.   But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptised of thee, and comest thou to me?   And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now:   for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.   Then he suffered him.   And Jesus, when he was baptised, went up straightway out of the water:   and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:   And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.


The Disciples of John and Fasting

Matthew 9:14-17  Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?   And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them?   but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.   No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.   Neither do men put new wine into old bottles:   else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish:   but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.


Messengers From John the Baptist

Matthew 11:2-19   Now when John had heard in prison the works of Christ, he sent two, of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?   Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which you do hear and see:   The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.   And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.   And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see?   A reed shaken in the wind?   But what went ye out for to see?   A man clothed in soft raiment?   behold, they that wear soft clothing are in king's houses.   But what went ye out for to see?   A prophet?   yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.   For this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.   Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist:   notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.   And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.   For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.   And if ye will receive it, this is Elijah, which was for to come.   He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.   But whereunto shall I liken this generation?   It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced;  we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.   For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.   The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.   But wisdom is justified of her children.


The Death of John the Baptist

Matthew 14:1-12   And at that time Herod the tetrach heard of the fame of Jesus, And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist;  he is risen from the dead;  and therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in him.   For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.   For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.   And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.   But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.   Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.   And she, before being instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.   And the king was sorry:   nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.   And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.   And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel:   and she brought it to her mother.   And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.


 

J esus' Authority Questioned

Matthew 21:23-27   And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things?   and who gave thee this authority?   And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things.   The baptism of John, whence was it?   from heaven?   or of men?   And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven;   he will say unto us, Why then did ye not believe him?   But if we shall say, Of men;  we fear the people;  for all hold John as a prophet.   And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell.   And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.


Coats, Publicans and Soldiers

Luke 3:10-14   And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?   He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none;  and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.   Then came also publicans to be baptised, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?   And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.   And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do?   And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely;  and be content with your wages.



Rejecting the Counsel of God

Luke 7:29-30   And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptised with the baptism of John.   But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.


Samaritans Refuse Jesus

Luke 9:51-56   And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers before his face:   and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.   And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.   And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord,  wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elijah did?   But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.   For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.   And they went to another village.


John the Baptist Teaches Prayer

Luke 11:1   And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples,

 

The Word of the Lord Came to John

Luke 3:2   Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

 

The Law and the Prophets

Luke 16:16,17   The law and the prophets were until John:   since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.   And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

 

Requirements for an Apostle

Acts 1:21,22   Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, Beginning from the baptism  of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

 

John Baptizes With Water

Jesus baptizes with the Holy Ghost and fire!   This statement recurs throughout the book of Acts.  Both teachings and experiences are absolutely necessary.

 

J esus’ Record of John the Baptist

John 1:6-8,15,17,19-40   There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.   The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.   He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.   John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me:   for he was before me.   And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?   And he confessed, and denied not;  but confessed, I am not the Christ.   And they asked him, What then?   Art thou Elijah?   And he saith, I am not.   Art thou that prophet?   And he answered, No.   Then said they unto him, Who art thou?   that we may give an answer to them that sent us.  What sayest thou of thyself?   He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah.   And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.   And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elijah, neither that prophet?   John answered them, saying, I baptize with water:   but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;  He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.   These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.   The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.   This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me:   for he was before me.   And I knew him not:   but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.   And John  bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.   And I knew him not:   but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and  remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.   And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.   Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;  And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!   And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.   Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye?   They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?   He saith unto them, Come and see.   They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day:   for it was about the tenth hour.   One of the two which heard John speak, and followed  him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 

John 3:22-36   After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea;  and there he tarried with them, and baptized.   And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there:  and they came and were baptized.   For John was not yet cast into prison.   Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.   And they came to John, and said to him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.   John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.   Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.   He that hath the bride is the bridegroom:   but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice:   this my joy therefore is fulfilled.   He must increase, I must decrease.   He that cometh from above is above all:   he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth:  he that cometh from heaven is above all.   And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth;  and no man receiveth his testimony.   He that receiveth his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.   For he whom God hath sent  speaketh the words of God:   for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.   The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.   He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life:   and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life;  but the wrath of God abideth on him.

John 4:1-3  When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) he left Judea, and departed again into Galilee.

John 5:33-37   Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.   But I receive not testimony from man:   but these things I say, that ye might be saved.   He was a burning and a shining light:   and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.   But I have greater witness than that of John:   for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.   And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me.   Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 

John 10:39-42   Therefore they sought again to take him:   but he escaped out of their hand, And went away beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized;  and there he abode.   And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle:   but all things that John spake of this man were true.   And many believed in him there.