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Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of
the great and dreadful day of the Lord. (Malachi 4:1, KJV) The Elijah Principle In the
Old Testament, God gave to the prophet Malachi a strange prophecy concerning the coming of the day of the Lord and the return
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to set up His kingdom on earth in Jerusalem for a thousand years of peace
and prosperity. As we have discussed before (in the study on the book of Revelation), the day of the Lord is
a phrase that is used in the Bible that refers to that time toward the end of the great tribulation period when God Himself
will fight against and destroy the wicked Christ-rejecting people who are left on this earth. It will most likely be
the same time that the battle of Armageddon takes place, and this battle is to take place after the Rapture of the church. We
can understand the timing of these events more clearly when we read the book of Revelation. So the angel swung his scythe on the earth and stripped the grapes and gathered the vintage from the vines
of the earth and cast it into the huge winepress of God’s indignation and wrath. And the grapes in the winepress
were trodden outside the city, and blood poured from the winepress, reaching as high as horses’ bridles, for a distance
of 1,600 stadia (about 200 miles). (Revelation 14:19–20) And I
saw three loathsome spirits like frogs, leaping from the mouth of the dragon and from the mouth of the beast and from the
mouth of the false prophet. For really they are the spirits of demons that perform signs (wonders, miracles). And
they go forth to the rulers and leaders all over the world, to gather them together for war on the great day of God the Almighty
. . . And they gathered them together at the place which in Hebrew is called Armageddon. (Revelation 16:13–16) The Lord gives us both a warning and a clue to the timing of His coming to
take the church out of the world before God’s wrath is poured out on the ungodly: “Behold, I am going to come
like a thief! Blessed (happy, to be envied) is he who stays awake (alert) and who guards his clothes, so that he may
not be naked and have the shame of being seen exposed!” (Revelation 16:15) The scriptures tell us that the Lord Jesus said He was coming like a thief (when no one is expecting it).
This statement by the Lord is mentioned at the beginning of the description of what John sees concerning the battle of Armageddon,
which is at the end of the great tribulation (or last three and one-half years of the seven-year peace treaty with Israel
and the Antichrist). The battle of Armageddon takes place when Jesus returns to the earth to set up His kingdom on earth in
Jerusalem for a thousand years of peace. The church will be with Him when he comes to set up His kingdom on earth after the
wicked and ungodly are destroyed (see Revelation chapter 19). The purpose
of this study is to help the people of God to understand what is going to take place in the future and the church’s
role during the time of the end of this world system as we know it. Some ministers of the gospel seem to think that the
church will be raptured out of the world before the events in the book of Revelation begin to take place on the earth; however,
I disagree with this assumption. Jesus spoke a parable concerning the church,
saying, Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who
took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. five of them were foolish (thoughtless, without forethought) and five
were wise (sensible, intelligent, and prudent) . . . While the bridegroom lingered and was slow in coming, they all began
nodding their heads, and they fell asleep. But at midnight there was a shout, Behold, the bridegroom! Go out to meet
him! . . . But while they were going away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were prepared went in with him to the
marriage feast; and the door was shut . . . Watch therefore give strict attention and be cautious and active, for you know
neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come. (Matthew 25:1–13) Most Bible scholars and those who study the Bible recognize that this parable refers to the Rapture of the
church. In this scripture, we are given a clue as to when this event will take place. Jesus said that at midnight
a cry was made that awakened the sleeping virgins. A virgin is a symbol for the church, and it is revealed
by the scriptures that we are the bride of Christ. The apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church at Corinth, saying,
“For I am zealous for you with a godly eagerness and a divine jealously, for I have betrothed you to one Husband, to
present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2, AMP). The word midnight is used as the timing of the wake-up call to the sleeping virgins (the church). The
dictionary defines the word midnight as meaning the middle of the night and a time when it is very dark. Darkness
is used in the Bible to symbolize a time of great wickedness or evil, and it also describes the condition of a person’s
heart when they do not know God. He will keep the feet of His saints, and the
wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. (1 Samuel 2:9, KJV) For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise
upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. (Isaiah 60:2, KJV) And Jesus
prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do . . . It was now about the sixth hour (midday), and darkness
enveloped the whole land and earth until the ninth hour (about three o’clock in the afternoon), While the sun’s
light faded or was darkened; and the curtain of the Holy of Holies of the temple was torn in two. (Luke 23:34–45) Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither
were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to
be wise, they became fools . . . Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to
dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature
more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 1:21–25, KJV) I believe that God has a mighty work for the church to do in these last days and that it will take the power
and anointing of the Holy Spirit for us to do it. The prophet Elijah was anointed by God to do a powerful work in the
Old Testament. He both prophesied and did mighty miracles by the power and anointing of God. His boldness and courage
in the face of evil was unsurpassed in the Holy Scriptures. Moses was also used by God in a similar fashion during his
time, and God used him to work special miracles in Egypt. God spoke unto Moses, saying, “And in very deed for this
cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee My power; and that My name may be declared throughout all the earth” (Exodus
9:16, KJV). We shall now go to the book of Revelation
to see what work God has ordained for His church in these last days: “And I will grant the power of prophecy
to My two witnesses for 1,260 (42 months; three and one half years), dressed in sackcloth. These [witnesses] are the
two olive trees and the two lampstands which stand before the Lord of the earth” (Revelation 11:3–4, AMP). Some Bible scholars believe and teach that the two witnesses spoken of in
the above verses are none other than Moses and Elijah and that God will send them back to the earth before the day of the
Lord comes when God judges the world for their ungodliness. Well, there is something wrong with this interpretation and
it does not fit with the rest of the scriptures concerning the Second Coming of the Lord. When Malachi gave his prophecy,
he did not say that God would send Moses and Elijah, he only stated that God would send Elijah. As a matter of fact,
I have found nowhere in the Bible where a prophecy is given that Moses would be resurrected to come back to the earth in the
last days. We must be careful not to add anything to the Bible when we are reading it if we want to gain the correct
understanding of the Word of God. So then who are the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation that God will give power
to prophesy and do miracles during the time of the end? We must answer this question using the Bible as our guide: “These
[witnesses] are the two olive trees and the two lampstands which stand before the Lord of the earth.” (Revelation
11:4, AMP). Next, we must ask ourselves what are the olive
tree and the lampstand a symbol of in the Bible? God told Jeremiah to prophesy to Israel, saying, Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer
incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble . . . The Lord called thy name, a green olive tree,
fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult He kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken. For
the Lord of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house
of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke Me to anger in offering incense unto Baal. (Jeremiah 11:12–17, KJV) As to the symbol of the lampstand, the Lord Jesus said, As to the hidden meaning (the mystery) of the seven stars which you saw on
My right hand and the seven lampstands of gold: the seven stars are the seven angels (messengers) of the seven assemblies
(churches) and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. (Revelation 1:20) The interpretation of the lampstand’s being a symbol for the church also fits together with the parable
of the ten virgins (mentioned earlier) where each virgin had a lamp that they were using for light. We are told by the
scriptures that our light is the knowledge of the Word of God: “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my
path” (Psalms 119:105, KJV). Thus, we can safely
conclude that the two witnesses spoken of in Revelation whom God will give power will be the church and the 144,000 Jewish
evangelists whom God will seal with the Holy Spirit at the time of the end: “Hurt not the earth, neither the
sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which
were sealed: and there were sealed and hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel” (Revelation
7:3–4, KJV). It is my belief that God is mainly dealing
with nations and countries during the time of the end. Historically, the United States of America has been the most Christian
nation on earth and Israel is God’s chosen nation or people that God used to bring forth the Messiah, Jesus Christ,
Whom God would use to bless all the peoples of the earth. There
will be a time of great spiritual darkness upon the earth during the great tribulation period (which begins after the
first three and one-half years of the seven-year peace covenant that the Antichrist will confirm with Israel and the
nations surrounding her). The church, which is asleep now, will no doubt awaken and begin to let its light
shine like never before and boldly preach the gospel everywhere when we see the coming of the Antichrist on the world scene
as he attempts to create a one-world government and dictatorship. His ultimate goal will be to force the whole world
to worship Satan (who will give the Antichrist his powers to deceive the world during that time). Israel will also be
under intense persecution from the Antichrist as he rises to dominate all nations of the earth during the time of the end. It is my belief that when God spoke to Malachi to give the prophecy of the
coming of Elijah before the day of the Lord’s wrath and judgment upon the earth, He was not talking about sending Elijah
back to the earth from heaven in a bodily form, but in a spiritual and anointed sense, the church and Jewish saints in
Israel during that time would be given the spirit and power of Elijah to prophesy and work signs and wonders on the earth
that will cause many to repent and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior during the time of the end. The Lord Jesus Himself gave the clue to this interpretation when He spoke to His disciples concerning His
second coming: “The disciples asked Him, Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? He replied, Elijah
does come and will get everything restored and ready. But I tell you that Elijah has come already and they did not know
or recognize him, but did to him as they like. So also the Son of Man is going to be treated and suffer at their hands. Then
the disciples understood that He spoke to them about John the Baptist” (Matthew 17:10–13, KJV). John the Baptist was sent by God to prepare the way for the first coming
of Jesus Christ. Malachi also prophesied about John’s coming before Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of Luke, we
read this description of John the Baptist: “And he will [himself] go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to
turn back the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient and incredulous and unpersuadable to the wisdom of
the upright [which is the knowledge and holy love of the will of God]—in order to make ready for the Lord a people [perfectly]
prepared [in spirit, adjusted and disposed and placed in the right moral state]” (Luke 1:17, AMP). The prophet Malachi spoke of two separate comings of the Lord Jesus Christ. The
first coming was preceded by John the Baptist, whom God used to prepare the way for Jesus Christ and gave the spirit and boldness
of Elijah, but before Christ’s second coming to this world (at the end of this world system as we know it), God
will give to the church (and the Jewish believers at that time) the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the way of
the Lord. Behold, I send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before
Me. And the Lord (the Messiah), Whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; the Messenger or Angel of the covenant,
Whom you desire, behold, He shall come, says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1) Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. (Malachi
4:5) The Lord Jesus was trying to help His disciples understand that
John the Baptist had the anointing of Elijah to boldly and fearlessly proclaim the coming of Jesus Christ and to preach that
men needed to repent of their dead religious works in order to receive and follow Jesus Christ when He came. However,
many did not believe John’s message and finally John was thrown into prison and his head cut off for his bold stand
against the ungodly during his day. It is my belief that John’s ministry was symbolic and similar to the ministry of
the church in these last days and that we (the church) will suffer similar persecution for our faith in Jesus Christ as John
did for his faith in God. When the Antichrist comes into power and begins his persecution of the church, many Christians will
be thrown into prison and beheaded for their righteous testimony of Jesus Christ. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall
make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. (Revelation 11:7, KJV) And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak,
and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. (Revelation 13:15, KJV) And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them
that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his
image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand
years. (Revelation 20:4, KJV) If John the Baptist’s ministry was a
type or shadow of what our ministry will be like before the Second Coming of Christ, then we can also see how the popular
teaching of the pre-tribulation rapture of the church might also be false. Many prophecy preachers are saying today that the
church will not have to suffer the persecution by the Antichrist during the great tribulation period before Christ returns.
Many teach that the church will be “raptured” before the Antichrist is revealed according to Paul’s second
letter to the Thessalonian church: “For the mystery of lawlessness (that hidden principle of rebellion against constituted
authority) is already at work in the world, [but it is] restrained only until he who restrains is taken out of the way. And
then the lawless one (the antichrist) will be revealed and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth and bring
him to an end by His appearing at His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:7–8, AMP). Now it is important to note that the above-stated scripture does not say that God will “take out of
the way” the one who is restraining the Antichrist from being revealed. It simply says that “he who restrains
is taken out of the way.” If the believers in Christ are killed or imprisoned or scattered in such a way as to render
them powerless and ineffective at resisting the Antichrist from coming into power, then I think it is fair to say that there
will be no more restraining force left to prevent the Antichrist from doing as he wills during tribulation period (or the
last seven years before Christ returns). The Bible says that
while John was in prison and before the king ordered his head to be cut off, it seems that John had some question about why
Jesus Christ did not come to deliver him: “Now when John in prison heard about the activities of Christ, he sent a message
by his disciples and asked Him, Are You the One Who was to come, or should we keep on expecting a different one? And Jesus
replied to them, Go and report to John what you hear and see . . . And blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is he
who takes no offense at Me and finds no cause for stumbling in or through Me and is not hindered from seeing the Truth”
(Matthew 11:2–6, AMP). While the Lord did not come and rescue John
from prison and prevent his head from being cut off, He did have this to say about John and his ministry for the kingdom of
God: “Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth . . . He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were
willing for a season to rejoice in his light” (John 5:33–35, KJV). Here, again, we see a similarity to the church’s ministry before the Second Coming of Christ: “Then
shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom . .
. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose,
and trimmed their lamps” (Matthew 25:1–7, KJV). Most students
of Bible prophecy agree that the oil in the lamps of the ten virgins represents the anointing or the Holy Spirit, which lives
in the hearts of God’s people. And as they were
going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou
still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God. Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed
him, and said, Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over His inheritance? (1 Samuel 9:27–10:1,
KJV) The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want . . . Thou preparest
a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. (Psalms 23:1–6, KJV) The majority of Christians today believe that they will not be here when
the Antichrist comes and during the tribulation period when God will permit the persecution of the church (both Jewish believers
and Christians everywhere). There will no doubt be many whose faith will not last and who will lose courage and faint during
that time when the Rapture does not take place in time to escape the persecution by the Antichrist’s government. To begin with, you must know and understand this, that scoffers (mockers)
will come in the last days with scoffing, people who walk after their own fleshly desires and say, Where is the promise of
His coming? For since the forefathers fell asleep, all things have continued exactly as they did from the beginning of creation.
(2 Peter 3:3–4) This know also, that in the last days perilous
times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous . . . Having a form of godliness, but denying the
power thereof: from such turn away. (2 Timothy 3:1–5, KJV) Beloved,
think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice,
inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with
exceeding joy . . . For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall
the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the
sinner appear?” (1 Peter 4:12–18, KJV) It is
my belief that the same spirit and anointing of Elijah will God place upon the church during the time of the end. The
history of the church is full of the martyrs for Christ and those whose faith in Jesus Christ caused them to suffer greatly. God
promised in His Word that He would send a great outpouring of His Spirit in the last days. And afterward I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions, Even upon the menservants and upon the maidservants in
those days will I pour out My Spirit. And I will show signs and wonders in the heavens, and on the earth, blood and fire
and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and terrible day of
the Lord comes. (Joel 2:28–31) The effectual fervent
prayer of a righteous man availeth much. E-li’-as was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly
that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and
the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. (James 5:16–18, KJV) Jesus taught His disciples by saying, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill
cannot be hid . . . Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is
in heaven” (Matthew 5:14–16, KJV). The prophet
Daniel also was given a vision of the end times by God, and it was revealed to him what would be the fate of God’s people
during the tribulation period at the hands of the Antichrist’s government. And such as violate the covenant he shall pervert and seduce with flatteries, but the people who know their
God shall prove themselves strong and shall stand firm and do exploits for God. And they who are wise and understanding
among the people shall instruct many and make them understand, though some of them and their followers shall fall by the sword
and flame, by captivity and plunder, for many days. Now when they fall, they shall receive a little help. Many shall
join themselves to them with flatteries and hypocrisies. And some of those who are wise, prudent, and understanding shall
be weakened and fall, thus, then, the insincere among the people will lose courage and become deserters. It will be a
test to refine, to purify, and to make those among God’s people white, even to the time of the end, because it is yet
for the time God appointed. And the king shall do according to his will; he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above
every god and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished,
for that which is determined by God shall be done . . . And at that time of the end Michael shall arise, the great angelic
prince who defends and has charge of your (Daniel’s) people. And there shall be a time of trouble, straitness,
and distress such as never was since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered,
everyone whose name shall be found written in the Book of God’s plan for His own. And many of those who sleep in
the dust of the earth shall awake: some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt and abhorrence. And
the teachers and those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness
(to uprightness and right standing with God) shall give forth light like the stars forever and ever. But you, O Daniel,
shut up the words and seal the Book until the time of the end. Then many shall run to and fro and search anxiously through
the Book, and knowledge of God’s purposes as revealed by His prophets shall be increased and become great . . . Many
shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be tried, smelted, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly. And
none of the wicked shall understand, but the teachers and those who are wise shall understand. (Daniel 11:32–12:10) In conclusion, we who are the people of God and called to be saints must
prepare ourselves (spiritually) for what is coming upon this world in the immediate future. May God give us all grace
to be more like Jesus Christ our Lord and to be found faithful at His coming. Amen.
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