THE 2ND COMING OF ELIJAH

MATTHEW 17;9-11-''and as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them saying.Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. 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.'' Notice the word ''restore'' [restoration], as you always find it in connection with the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ [Acts 3;20-21]. The statement of the Lord Jesus Christ is that Elijah is going to come. MATTHEW 17;12-13--''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 diciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.'' because of these verses, some say that Christ is already come, that John the Baptist was Elijah. Therefore they say all the Old Testaments Prophecies were fulfilled at the first coming, and they are to be spiritualized, if they refer to the 2nd Coming. But NOTICE THE PASSAGE CAREFULLY, ''Elias truly SHALL first come, and restore all things. But [apparent contradiction I say unto you.'' Here we have an apparent contradiction, but is not really a contradiction at all. LUKE 9;18-20--''And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him; and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am/ They answering said,John the Baptist; but some say, Elias;and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again. He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am/ Peter answering said, The Christ of God.'' Then there is confusion about John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, and Elias. Although Jesus said John was Elias. let's look at John's testimony. JOHN 1;19-21--''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 Elias/ And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet/ And he answered, No.'' Is that clear/ Here is an apparent contradiction, Jesus said John was Elias, John says he wasn't. but this is not a REAL contradiction-- LUKE 1;15-17--''For he [John]nshall be great in the sight of the Lord, and 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 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.'' God's plan covers all possibilities and contingencies. If the people had reveived the message and Christ as their Messiah, in Acts 2-7, John would have been Elijah.... Prior to the cross and their commission, Jesus said to His disciples--''But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another; for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of Man be come'' [Matthew 10;23]. He did not come, yet they went over the cities of ISRAEL, TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD. Now, let's see how THE Holy Spirit gave the teaching that John was a type of Elijah, as we compare Malachi 4 with Luke 1. MALACHI 4;4-6 CP LUKE 1;17; The commissions aren't the same. John Baptist was only a type of ELIJAH, WHO WOULD HAVE FULFILLED THE PROPHECY IF CHRIST HAD RETURNED. BUT SINCE ISRAEL DIDNOT REPENT AS A NATION, GOD CALLS OUT PAUL TO PREACH TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, AND THE CHURCH AGE IS USHERED IN. Elijah will come in the Tribulation period [Revelation 11;2-6].