This will be the third posting for the discussion I am presently having with a young man by the name of Arthur. He holds to a teaching that considers the ministry of John the Baptist a failure, and that because John failed to prepare a people for Jesus, Jesus had to go to the cross. Our discussion began HERE, and I have posted my replies in the form of blog postings HERE, HERE and in this posting as well. I will put Arthur’s words in this discussion in bold italic, so that no one will confuse his words with my reply. In my earlier reply I made the statement that when asked whether or not he was literally Elijah, John replied he was not. Arthur responded with:
I know that John was not the ‘literal’ Elijah of 900yrs earlier. The Jewish people were not asking John if he was the literal Elijah. Malachi had said that Elijah MUST come before the Messiah, John was dressed as Elijah, saying the same words as Elijah, and had testified to Jesus at the river Jordon, it was a natural question for them to ask if John were that Elijah.
…The Jewish people were asking John if he was the fulfillment of Malachi. Not if he were the actual literal Elijah.
Well this is not the understanding of the speaker in the video[1] on your website. He says about 5 to 10 minutes into his lecture: “…Hey, Zach, get it? Elijah, your son is the Elijah! Now, according to the traditional belief, of which Zechariah was certainly an arbiter of that belief as a chief priest. Their expectation was that the literal prophet Elijah would return out of the sky, and that would be the sign of Christ’s coming.”
His understanding also agrees with what I have been able to find about the Jewish beliefs of that period: “that in the second year of Ahaziah, Elias was hid; nor will he appear, till the Messiah comes; then he will appear, and will be hid a second time; and then will not appear, till Gog and Magog come.” [Seder Olam Rabba, p. 45, 46]
In my opinion when John was asked if he were Elijah (John 1:21), he responded according to the intent of their question. If they mistakenly understood a literal interpretation of Malachi 4:5, as seems to be the case according to the Seder Olam Rabba quotation above, then John should have denied he was that Elijah. John and Elijah the Tishbite were two different people. Therefore, the doctrine that John the Baptist was confused about his calling is a false doctrine. The teaching that John the Baptist was a failure at his ministry is also a false doctrine, because he was great in the sight of the Lord, according to the Scriptures, and Jesus had only praise for him. As far as I am concerned, the gentleman in the video is confused about John, his ministry and its value in the sight of God.
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21 responses to “Was John the Baptist Literally Elijah?”
Hi Eddie,
Quote from Eddie
“In my opinion when John was asked if he were Elijah (John 1:21), he responded according to the intent of their question. If they mistakenly understood a literal interpretation of Malachi 4:5, as seems to be the case according to the Seder Olam Rabba quotation above, then John should have denied he was that Elijah. John and Elijah the Tishbite were two different people.”
In order to uphold your views, are you really saying that the Jewish people did not understand their own scriptures?
When the Disciples take the issue of the foretold Elijah to Jesus, Jesus does not think they are misunderstanding their scriptures, Jesus just answers, that he has already come, but they did not know him.
Mathew 17: 10 -12
10And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? 11And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 12But 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.
Quote from Eddie
“The teaching that John the Baptist was a failure at his ministry is also a false doctrine, because he was great in the sight of the Lord”
“Least in the Kingdom” is how Jesus actually describes him. You may not like my posting of this, but this IS from scripture.
God Bless.
Arthur
In order to uphold your views, are you really saying that the Jewish people did not understand their own scriptures?
If they understood their own Scriptures, how did they miss the Messiah? Why didn’t they see the crucifixion in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53? If they truly understood as they should have understood, why did they reject John/Elijah?
When the Disciples take the issue of the foretold Elijah to Jesus, Jesus does not think they are misunderstanding their scriptures, Jesus just answers, that he has already come, but they did not know him.
On the contrary, they did not understand, because they were referring to the doctrine of the scribes and Pharisees, which completely misses to point of Malachi. Jesus never speaks to the false doctrine. Rather, he speaks as though the disciples understood. The fact that he had to explain that Elijah was John, shows they misunderstood. They had been looking for something/someone different–possibly a lot of fireworks etc. They missed him just as everyone else did. Jesus had to point them in the correct direction–then they understood.
“Least in the Kingdom” is how Jesus actually describes him. You may not like my posting of this, but this IS from scripture.
Actually, you have missed Jesus point. He shows John was then NOT a part of the Kingdom of God. Jesus said “he who is least in the Kingdom…” is greater than John. I explain this in greater detail in my next blog: Is John Least in the Kingdom? which is also a response to your previous replies in this discussion. :-)
SEE: http://en.wordpress.com/tag/bible-truths-and-prophecy/
“If they understood their own Scriptures, how did they miss the Messiah? Why didn’t they see the crucifixion in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53? If they truly understood as they should have understood, why did they reject John/Elijah?”
They missed the Messiah, because they were waiting for the Elijah to come FIRST. Without an Elijah, they could not accept Jesus as the Messiah.
God told them Elijah would come first.
God Bless.
Arthur
Additional
God had placed John the Baptist in the position to say to the people that Elijah was here, that he was indeed the Elijah they were looking for.