Originally posted by blackbird:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Brother Bob:
I don't see no need for he remarks but as it is. I do not know why John said that unless it was not time for them to know yet, but he had a reason. His father knew who He was and Jesus said it so it and Jesus cannot lie.
So--when the people asked him if he was Elijah---why would John lie?? Scripture teaches that we are to let our "Yea be yea and our nay be nay" John---here in the scripture I quoted above from Matthew(see posts above)--was letting his yea be his yea and his nay be his nay---according to you, dear friend--and your interpretation of the text---John just bore false witness against his neighbor---he lied
Now--either he's telling the truth--or he lied! </font>[/QUOTE]Zec 4:11 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
12 And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
14 Then said he,
These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.
Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
Mt 17:12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already,
Mt 17:13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
Mt 17:3 And, behold, there appeared unto them
Moses and Elias talking with him.
Re 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
John was what we would call "Reincarnated", same spirit, different Body, Where as "Resurrection" is same spirit, same recognizable body/person.
When John was ask, are you Elijah, he answered no, but did he lie to their question, or did he speak the truth, the Jews were expecting the Elijah who went to heaven in the whirwind, which John was not, so to what they were asking/expecting, John gave a truthful answer.
The Jews were also expecting the Messiah, and question Jesus with the same expectations for the Messiah they had for Elijah.
Joh 10:24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.
31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
Lacking "faith", Israel was blinded as too who John/Jesus both were, the church being a mystery to Israel, they were expecting the physical Elijah/Messiah who comes during the trib, not a spiritual version.
Here's the point to all this, Jesus's first coming required "Spiritual vision" to "See/recognize" all the characters/events,
Peter recognized Jesus by Faith through the spirit, but since the Jews didn't have faith in Jesus, they didn't recognize/believe him to be the Messiah, even with all his works, or John to be "Eliajh", regardless of their answers.
The "Law and Prophet",(Moses/Elijah) leadership stop with John/Jesus, spiritual began.
once the "Spiritual leadership" (Holy Ghost/rapture) is gone, they will return for the trib period,
But as you see, the promise to send eliajh has both a "spiritual" and Literal" fulfillment, along with many other prophecies.
Here's a link where you can read more.
http://www.baptistboard.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/28/3398.html#000000
