Messianic Perspectives

Guest (Female): Stay with us as Dr. Gary Hedrick leads us in a discussion of the second coming of Elijah, right here on Messianic Perspectives.

Liz Aiello: Shalom and welcome to Messianic Perspectives, a daily program where we look into the scriptures from a distinctive first-century Jewish point of view. This is Liz Aiello. Today, our Bible teacher is Dr. Gary Hedrick, and his subject is the second coming of Elijah. I'll be back a little later with information about a special offer, so have your pencil and paper ready. And now, with today's installment, here's Gary.

Dr. Gary Hedrick: Thank you, and we welcome all of our listening friends to this edition of the program. I'm Gary Hedrick, and we're in a series of prophetic studies dealing with the second coming of Elijah. Our text from the Old Testament is taken from Malachi chapter 4, verses 5 and 6, where the Lord said, "Behold, I will send 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."

And we've been discussing the fact that what Malachi seems to be describing in these two verses is a second coming of the Old Testament prophet Elijah. Now, when we ran out of time on the last broadcast, we had been looking at Revelation chapter 11, where we found some important clues as to when and how and why, after almost 3,000 years, the prophet Elijah will be sent forth by God to prophesy once again.

On the last program, I shared with you several reasons why I believe the literal interpretation of these prophetic passages is the most reasonable interpretation. If you accept the literal interpretation of Malachi chapter 4 and Revelation chapter 11, then what you end up with is a second coming of the Old Testament prophet Elijah at some point right around the middle or the three-and-a-half-year point of the tribulation.

We saw on the last program that although the second coming of Elijah is something Christian scholars have been reluctant to accept, the Orthodox Jewish rabbis have been teaching it for centuries. Now, quite frankly, some very fine Jewish scholars, even Christian Jews, do not accept the connection between Malachi chapter 4 and Revelation chapter 11.

In fact, our very good friend Arnold Fruchtenbaum, who's been right here on this program many times in past years and holds his PhD from New York University, even Dr. Fruchtenbaum says that he believes that Elijah will return at some point during the tribulation, but he says that's an event totally separate from the appearance of the two prophets in the streets of Jerusalem in Revelation chapter 11. He says there's no connection between the two prophets and Elijah.

Well, that's certainly one viewpoint, but I think there's a problem with it. Namely, Dr. Fruchtenbaum and others who teach this are asking us basically to believe that two anonymous Jewish prophets could go out on the streets of Jerusalem and get the attention of the whole world, but the Old Testament prophet Elijah will come back to planet Earth, which undoubtedly will be one of the most sensational occurrences in the history of mankind, and it's not even mentioned in Revelation. That's what they're asking us to believe, my friend, and quite frankly, I just don't buy it.

Listen, if the Bible teaches that Elijah will return to Earth during the tribulation period, and I believe it does, and many Jewish scholars believe it does, and an increasing number of Christian scholars believe it does, if the Bible teaches that, then common sense tells me that this event would be mentioned somewhere in the Book of Revelation, where the Apostle John carefully chronicles the events of the tribulation period. Elijah certainly wouldn't have to be mentioned by name necessarily, but it seems to me that he would be mentioned somehow, somewhere in the Revelation.

I think some deductive logic and the comparison of scripture with scripture points to Revelation chapter 11 where the two witnesses are mentioned in the streets of Jerusalem. Dr. Kenneth Wuest, the great Greek scholar from Moody Bible Institute for many years, also taught that there would be a literal second coming of the prophet Elijah. In volume one of his Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, Wuest says this: "In Matthew 11:14, our Lord identifies John the Baptist as Elijah."

Now, watch what he says. Dr. Wuest goes on to say, "We are not to understand that he was the actual Elijah of the Old Testament, nor that his appearance and ministry to Israel fulfilled the prophecy of the future coming and ministry of Elijah, but that he came in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the hearts of Israel for the first advent of Messiah, as Elijah will do for His second advent." So Malachi's prophecy is one reason I believe one of the tribulation prophets will be Elijah.

Now, quickly, let me give you two more reasons besides the passage in Malachi chapter 4 why I believe one of these two prophets in Revelation 11 is Elijah. First, in Second Kings chapter 2, verses 9 through 11, we are told that Elijah never died. For some mysterious reason, the Bible says he was taken up into heaven in a chariot of fire by a whirlwind. He was raptured, if you will, almost as though God was reserving the prophet for some future task.

Hebrews 9:27 gives us this principle: "As it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment." Perhaps Elijah is yet to return to experience martyrdom in the streets of Jerusalem. But there is yet another reason why I think one of these two prophets will be Elijah, and I'm turning back to Revelation chapter 11 here. In verse 6, it says that these two prophets in Revelation chapter 11 have power to shut heaven so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy, which would be the last half of the tribulation period, or three and a half years.

They withhold rain from the earth for three and a half years. Now, flip back to James 5, verse 17. It says Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain. That's in First Kings chapter 17, by the way. And it rained not on the earth by the space of, guess how long it was, three years and six months. Verse 18: "And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." So the miracle mentioned in Revelation chapter 11 is identical to one of the miracles associated with the prophet Elijah in the Old Testament.

Now, our time is slipping away already, so let me quickly deal with the question of who the second prophet might be. Some have suggested that he might be Moses because Moses appeared with Elijah at the Mount of Transfiguration and because the plagues of Revelation 11 are similar to the plagues Moses brought upon Pharaoh back in the Book of Exodus.

However, Moses died once already back in Deuteronomy chapter 34, and if it is appointed unto men once to die and after this the judgment, then it's hard to imagine why God would require that Moses die twice, although I suppose it's possible. After all, Lazarus and some other people in the Old and New Testaments died twice. But I think there's someone else in the Old Testament who may be even more qualified to serve as a latter-day prophet than Moses.

And it's interesting to read some of the early church fathers because several of those early church fathers who wrote in the first and second centuries, not long after the Book of Revelation was written, several of the early church fathers identified these two prophets in Revelation 11 as Elijah and another Old Testament prophet, but it's not Moses.

And since we're almost out of time, let me just make this an assignment for you for next time. See if you can figure out who it might be, and then join us for the next program and I'll tell you who I think it is. In the meantime, please remember that it's your prayers and your financial support that help make this missionary outreach to the Jewish people possible.

And let me tell you something, dear friend, that's what it's all about. That's why we're here, and that's why our 22 missionaries are scattered all over the globe, dedicated people sharing Christ with the Jewish people in key Jewish population centers all over the world, telling them that Messiah has come and that He's coming again.

And you see, these 22 missionaries don't have to raise their own support before they go out on the field because they are actually salaried employees of Christian Jew Fellowship ministries. In fact, not long ago, the president of a large missionary agency called and he shared with me some of his concerns about the fact that it's getting harder and harder for their people to raise missionary support and to maintain that support once the missionary is on the field.

And he said that some of their missionary candidates are taking one and two and sometimes even three years before they can raise their support on deputation and go to the field. He was impressed with the fact that CJF missionaries are on the field usually in a matter of weeks from the time we call them and commission them. And he said, "How do you do it? If the missionaries don't raise their own support, then who does?"

And I explained to this brother that our missionaries are supported by our family of friends, churches, and radio listeners. You see, when I say here on the air that you are the backbone of this ministry, I don't always take the time to explain what I mean by that, but it really is true. You are the backbone of this ministry because it's your prayers and your financial support that make it all possible.

So let me just encourage you, if I may, if you say you love the Jewish people and if you have that burden for Israel in your heart, why don't you do something about it? Get involved in supporting Jewish missions, and there's no better time to start than now. Well, that's all we have time for today. Join us next time, won't you, as we continue this series of studies on the second coming of Elijah. Bye-bye.

Liz Aiello: Thank you, Gary. And thank you, listening friend, for tuning in today. If you enjoyed today's presentation on the second coming of Elijah by Gary Hedrick, you'll be glad to know we've placed the entire series on one convenient CD. It's available for a gift of just $6 or more to the ministry of Messianic Perspectives. Just ask for CD number GT4 entitled "The Second Coming of Elijah."

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And as always, when you're in touch with us, please mention the call letters of this station. If you're listening to our webcast or podcast, we need to know that too. This is Liz Aiello. Join us next time, won't you, as Dr. Gary Hedrick continues our series on the second coming of Elijah, right here on Messianic Perspectives.