The Spirit of Elias

Matthew 17:10-13 KJV

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.

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 disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

The disciples concluded this prophetic all course by understanding that the promise of Malachi that Elias would come once again meant not the Elijah would return to the earth but John the Baptist; one who had the Spirit of Elijah would come. Poole draws a parallel between the two men.

• "Did Elijah freely reprove, not only Baal’s priests, but even Ahab and Jezebel? John as freely reproved Herod and Herodias, and the Pharisees and Sadducees.
• Was Elijah an austere man? Such was John the Baptist.
• Did Elijah flee unto the wilderness to save his life? John Baptist, for some time, lived and preached there.
• Elijah living in a corrupt time, was a great means or instrument to restore decayed religion: so was John the Baptist, in the time wherein he lived."

It is true that John the Baptist denied being Elias, but I believe it is Barnes who points out that John merely denied being the Pharisees perception of the fulfillment of the prophecy and not the true fulfillment.

We need some later day men who have that same spirit of passion for the ministry

• Dedication to the things of the Spirit
• Fearlessness in the message
• Other worldliness rather than being worldly

May God raise up a John the Baptist and another Elias in our midst.