by Star Moore 21 Replies latest watchtower bible
Luke 1: 17 NWT Also he will go before him with Elijah's spirit and power, to turn back the hearts of fathers to children and the disobedient ones to the practical wisdoom of righteous one, to get ready for Jehovah a prepared people.
Malachi 4:5 NWT "Look! I am sending to you people Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah.
Here's another, much clearer Scripture.
Matthew 17:10-13, NWT
10 However, the disciples put the question to him: “Why, then, do the scribes say that E·li´jah must come first?” 11 In reply he said: “E·li´jah, indeed, is coming and will restore all things. 12 However, I say to YOU that E·li´jah has already come and they did not recognize him but did with him the things they wanted. In this way also the Son of man is destined to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples perceived that he spoke to them about John the Baptist.
Its a complicated question of varying traditions surrounding the Malachi verse and how they were used by NT authors. JtB denies being the Elijah, Jesus is identified by some as Elijah, Jesus identifies JtB as Elijah, Elijah never comes back at all but the verse in interpreted symbolically and so on. Some of the best explanations I read suggest that JtB was identified as a reincarnated Elijah and this and other traditions shifted to Jesus in certain circles.
I was just thinking about how Luke expands and corrects Matthew in this transfiguration scene. Matt describes the scene as a 'vision' while Luke goes and adds dialogue that suggests he understood Elijah to really be present and visiting Jesus to discuss his death. If the writer of Luke understood Elijah this way it makes sense he would interpret the Malachi verse as symbolic/metaphor.
Add to what Peacefulpete said that other traditions held Jesus to be the resurrected John the Baptist (Mark 6:14ff; 8:28) and the Gospels have John the Baptist ask Jesus whether he is "the one who is to come" (Luke 7:20//, which may well refer to Elijah in the wake of Malachi) and you get a fair picture of the real complexity of the issue.
Maybe some one can confirm this, but I believe I read some where that John baptised Jesus at the same place Elijah was taken up in a chariot? And as far as reincarnation, I can't prove it one way or another, so I don't discount it. and if it were true I see it being possible to work right along side the ressurection teaching. Acadian
The scriptures I quoted earlier, make me think that the spirit has the personality and spirit of the person...and also that God can us reincarnation...if he so pleases.
Also was thinking that in a way...Jesus was reincarnated from Heaven to earth...Was his spirit put into the child, Jesus....?
Some scholars lean toward the idea that Enoch and Elijah are the 2 witnesses referred to in Revelation chapter 11.
Careful now your coming aweful close to the heresy of Separationism!
Careful now your coming aweful close to the heresy of Separationism!
Forgive me, I had a sudden lapse in sense and should have paid more attention to God's prophecies provided by the Faithful Slave in the publication, Revelation - It's Grand Climax at Hand!
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re chap. 25 p. 161 Reviving the Two Witnesses ***
