Malachi 4:4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: 6 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.
The Bible makes mention of three Elijahs who surface in different periods of earth's history, and the messages, activities and experiences of the last are mirrored in the experiences of the first two. The first Elijah appeared in the days of Israel when the Jews had become deeply entrenched in idolatry of the worst kind. This first Elijah was sent by God to bring His people back to the keeping of His commandments, statutes and laws, so that the withering drought that came upon the land as a result of the fearful departure from righteousness, could be lifted. Let's read:
1st Kings 18:17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? 18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim. 21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
The second Elijah came in the form of John the Baptist who was also sent by God to bring His people back to the keeping of all ten commandments, for at this time the Jews had descended into a dead formalism, consisting of a multitude of external rites and ceremonies, whereas the gold of character and genuine goodness was burning very dim. Let's read:
Luke 3:12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? 13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. 14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.
The appearance of the second Elijah was foretold in the prophecies of Isaiah as being one who would be sent to prepare the way before Christ, and to turn the hearts of God's people to righteousness once more. Let's read:
Isaiah 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
Matthew 11:7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John" ...10 "This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist" .... 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
The third Elijah to follow must then be expected to follow in the footsteps of the former two as it pertains to the call to return to the keeping of all ten commandments. This message which constitutes the core of the everlasting gospel to be given to our generation, must of necessity stand front and center of our preaching and teaching, for it is the point on which many of the churches of modern Christendom have fallen. Most protestant Churches and denominations have no problem whatsoever with Jesus being the Son of God, who came and died for our sins, and most, if not all, believe that faith is an integral accessory to any relationship with Him.
But the sticking point is with the keeping of all ten commandments, and their current validity and pertinence to every generation, including ours. The doctrine which teaches that the ten commandments were nailed to the cross is without merit or scriptural foundation, and because of this teaching, the floodgates of immorality have been opened upon the church and the world alike, hence the reason why we are now seeing crimes occurring in the clergy which would cause the first two Elijahs to shudder in their boots. Pedophile priests and clergymen are sustained in offices of responsibility, and many of those who the common people are taught to look up to and reverence, have betrayed sacred trusts, and have consequently caused the proliferation of infidels and atheists alike.
That's why in the last message to the human family, God is sending the third Elijah to call the multitudes to repentance, by advocating and keeping all ten commandments, which are the rule and guide of life. Any system of Christian religion which omits the keeping of all God's commandments, falls far short of the ideals given for our temporal and eternal good, and creates a spiritual imbalance in the minds of those who may be sincerely seeking a deeper relationship and knowledge of God. That's why the third Elijah is sent from God with an urgent call for earth's inhabitants to return to the keeping of all ten commandments, and it is the will of God that as many as would heed the call, take a decided stand for righteousness, before it is eternally too late. Let's read:
Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. 12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
It behooves us then to not only study the nature of this last message of Elijah, but also to share this aspect of the everlasting gospel with all whom we interact with, for the close of probation hastens greatly, and it is the will of God that as many as would be saved in His kingdom, be made aware of the obligations of His sacred law. God bless!