Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Matthew 17:12 but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 17:12 but I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not recognize him, but did to him as they wished. The Son of Man is also going to suffer at their hands." |
Bible Question: I would like to get some clarification on Matthew 17:11-13. I'm not understanding about Elijah coming back, and how it is connected to John the Baptist. Can someone clarify for me? Thanks. Kim |
Bible Answer: Kim, A quick bridge building answer - Based on the “reincarnation principle”, if this was true and we know it isn’t, when the body dies then the soul moves into another body. We know that this cannot be the case for Elijah the Prophet because he is not dead but in heaven (2 Kings 2:1). The Biblical answer – Let me make a statement and then try to prove it biblically. Was John the Baptist the same Elijah that was in the Old Testament? No. Was John the Baptist reincarnated with all of Elijah the Prophet’s spirit, which will now mean Elijah doesn’t have a spirit in Heaven? No. Did John the Baptist have the same calling and same spirit as Elijah the Prophet? Yes. First some background. All the righteous before Jesus was resurrected went down to Sheol, in the earth. Except for Enoch (Gen. 5:24; Heb. 11:5), Elijah (2 King 2:1) and Moses (Jude 9) they went to heaven. Jesus was the first fruit of those who died who went to heaven (Col. 1:18; Acts 26:23; 1 Cor. 15:20; Matt. 27:64; Rev. 1:5). What about the prophet Samuel who served the LORD from a child surely he went to heaven? No to paradise in Sheol (1 Sam. 28:13-15), what about the “anointed” sons of Korah the Chief Musician? No (Ps. 49:14-15 Interlinear), King Hezekiah? No (Is. 38:10), surely King David? No (Acts 2:34; 13:36). Sheol is a place located inside the earth, it was owned by death and the owner of death was Satan (Heb. 2:14-15). Thus Satan owned all the souls of those who died from the beginning of creation. The righteous and wicked people both went there but were slotted into the different chambers within Sheol. Sheol (H7585) included Paradise/Abraham’s bosom (G3857), Hades/Pit (H953, G86, H7845), Tartarus/Prison of Fallen Angels (G5020), Abyss/bottomless pit (G12, G5421) and Gehenna/Hell/Lake of eternal fire (G1067). Jesus sacrificed Himself to set everyone who loved God free forever. “The graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had died were raised” (Matt. 27:52; Eph. 2:6). How? Jesus took the keys of Hades and Death away from Satan (Rev. 1:18; Heb. 2:14-15) so that we never have to be oppressed by the fear of death again (1 Cor. 15:55; Hos. 13:14). About Elijah and John - 1) In Matt. 11:11 It does not say John is the least in the Kingdom of Heaven BUT that the least is greater than he. Why? Because John the Baptist wasn’t even part of the Kingdom of Heaven until after Jesus was glorified. We know that Elijah the prophet was in the Kingdom of Heaven so the only way this can be true is if John the Baptist and Elijah were not the same. 2) When John died he didn’t go to heaven but went to Sheol – the same place King David, Abraham, Samuel etc. went. Why? Because Jesus was not yet glorified. After he was “the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had died were raised” (Matt. 27:52; Eph. 2:6). About 1 year before this happened Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus on mount (Matt. 17). If John the Baptist was the Prophet Elijah then Jesus would be calling Elijah from the Paradise which was in Sheol. And at that time it was owned by satan. Jesus would be no better than a medium that Saul used to call up Samuel. Net, God placed the same spirit and calling in John the Baptist as Elijah so that the prophecy of Mal. 4:5 can be fulfilled in John the Baptist. John the Baptist came in the power of Elijah Luke 1:16-17. Andre |