2/17/21
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
In our last message, we shared some background of the great prophet Elijah, specifically from 1 Kings, Chapter 17. We want to continue speaking about the significance of Elijah for us today.
Although several different verses in the Bible speak of the great power of God, there is only one verse that specifically says that God gave great power to men.
I have no idea whether the author of that song understood what he was saying when he wrote those words in 1994. However, it is true that these ARE the days of Elijah, declaring the word of the Lord! All too often, when we Christians sing songs, we do not really stop to think about the meaning of the words being sung. It has become a learned response. So what does it mean to say that these are the days of Elijah?
To answer that question let us go back to the time of Elijah. In his day, Israel had been corrupted greatly by the influence of Jezebel over her husband Ahab, with much idolatry and Baal worship. When Elijah suddenly appears, in 1 Kings 17, Ahab was the king of Israel. Scripture records (1 Kings 16:30) that Ahab did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him. The second verse of that song says "these are the days of Ezekiel." What do Elijah, Moses, and Ezekiel have in common? All three were prophets of the Lord. And all three were raised up by the Lord in times of idolatry and apostasy on the part of the chosen people of God. So when we sing, "these are the days of Elijah" we are saying that the Church today is caught up in much idolatry and apostasy. We must remember that Israel in the days of Elijah, Moses, and Ezekiel consisted of God's chosen people.
Baal worship was very prominent in those days. Baal, which means "lord, master, husband, or owner," was the male deity who owned the land, controlled its fertility, and was the giver of rain. According to Baal worship, the fertility of the land depended upon sexual relations between Baal and his female consort, Ashtoreth. The people believed that the agricultural harvest would not be plentiful unless the fertility powers were worshiped according to the ways of Canaan. Therefore, the people imitated the gods. The Canaanites had sacred, temple prostitution (Deuteronomy 23:18). Baal commonly took the form of a bull, the animal of strength and fertility. The people also began to name their children after Baal. Gideon was also called Jerub-baal. Saul, Jonathan, and David all had children with "baal" in their names. In other words, Baal worship glorified food and sex. Do you see any relationship to our modern day? Do people in the United States today glorify food and sex? A government report one year ago said that more than 40% of adults in America are obese. That is a pandemic that far eclipses the Covid-19 pandemic. Do any Christians fall into that category? A number of months ago I read a blog on the internet, written by a Christian pastor, which stated that the greatest pandemic in the church today is gossip. The political arena in the United States is divided into two, or perhaps three, different camps. The Christian arena in the United States is divided into hundreds of different camps.
The Baal religion taught men to control the gods for the benefit of the people. True Christianity, in contrast, says to serve God, who is sovereign, for who He is and out of gratitude for what He has done, but with no thought for "what do I get?"
The Lord is not asleep! He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep (Psalm 121:4). Because of the great idolatry in Israel, the Lord raised up a prophet named Elijah, which means the Lord is God. The major function of Elijah was to combat the forces of darkness in the form of idolatry and Baal worship. The same idolatry existed in the time of Paul. There was rampant fornication in the Church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 5). In addition, from
Paul also talks about those whose god is their belly in 1 Corinthians 11:20-34. Paul said, in
Idolatry likewise exists within the Church today; it is just of a more subtle variety. It is also very deceptive in that almost no believer thinks he/she is caught up in idolatry. How many "big-name" television evangelists have been exposed in the past 45 years for sexual immorality and/or extravagant living, in the form of multi-million dollar houses, expensive clothes, expensive automobiles, private jet planes, etc., all supposedly from "non-profit" ministries? I can easily name twelve such men and women and I am not even in the loop of hearing about the charismatic scandals. Back in the mid 1970's the Lord sent me to the headquarters of one of the foremost TV evangelists. Even way back then he was receiving 150 million dollars a year from primarily charismatic Christians. He invited me to sit in his huge office while some IBM techies presented their computer proposal to him. After my interview, I wrote him a very lengthy letter detailing why I could not work for him if he paid me $100,000 a year, which was quite a hefty salary 50 years ago. Of course, he never responded, but a few years later he was put in jail. He has been out of prison for a number of years now, with a new wife, but still successful in fleecing undiscerning Christians to give him lots of money.
One definition of "idolatry" (from the Columbia Encyclopedia) is the substitution of that which is natural for what is intended to be spiritual. Based on that definition, idolatry is certainly rampant within the Church today in the form of mixture, compromise, the false pursuit and love of money (based upon a false prosperity doctrine), traditions of men, entertainment, and on and on.
However, the Lord is doing the same work today as in the days of Elijah, Moses, and Ezekiel! The Lord always desires Christians to be filled with His spirit and to stand up for Him just like Elijah did. He is raising up an Elijah today to be used for the same purpose as the Elijah of old. The difference is that the Elijah of today is not a single man, but rather a small company of believers who are sold out to God, understand and walk in the kingdom of God, have a good measure of discernment, wisdom, knowledge and understanding, and have been (or will be) given that same power that was given to Elijah of old.
Some of the characteristics of Elijah are the following.
(1) sent by God
(2) his being cries out, "the Lord is my God"
(3) of like passions as we
(4) purged of all idolatry
(5) hidden from view for some time period in a rugged wilderness; refined by God; unveiled when the enemy comes in like a flood
(6) fears the Lord
(7) moves, acts, and speaks only at the direction of the Lord
(8) a sojourner, pilgrim, stranger ... "other worldly" ... marches to a different drummer
(9) misunderstood by his brethren; "troubles" all Israel (1 Kings 18:17-18)
(10) a righteous man
(11) prays earnestly
(12) works miracles, but is primarily a result of the miracle work of God within him
(13) granted access to those in high places
(14) characterized by true humility
(15) declares the word of the Lord
(16) jealous for the Lord of hosts
What can we say about the Elijah who is yet to come? They will have the same characteristics worked within them by the Holy Spirit.
Elijah also exhibited despair (1 Kings 19:4) as he fled from Jezebel and he requested for himself that he might die. Shortly after that Elijah said, in
Of course, the Lord then told Elijah that He had reserved 7,000 more that Elijah did not know about. Any person who believes that without his/her ministry the will of God cannot be done, needs further refinement in his/her life. I have not been able to determine the population of Israel in the time of Elijah. However, I assume that by the time of Elijah a very conservative estimate of the population would be 700,000. Seven thousand out of 700,000 represents a tithe of a tithe, or one percent. That is the same percentage of the chosen vessels that made up Gideon's army ... 300 out of 32,000. That is a sobering thought! Does that mean that only one percent of Christians walk in the kingdom of God on earth? The percentage was even more startling in the time of Moses, when only Joshua and Caleb, of those older than 20, actually entered the promised land.
Note, from Verse 6, that Elijah shall "turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers." We must not try to interpret this in the natural sense, but spiritually. John writes about the fathers and children in 1 John 2:12-14.
The great and dreadful day of the Lord has not yet come. Therefore, this prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. The Jewish people today are still looking for Elijah to come. They also are still looking for the Messiah. Both came more than 2000 years ago. Jesus said, concerning John the Baptist,
The message in all of this could be the same as in Amos 5:4-6,
Yes, that messenger was John the Baptist, who prepared the way for the first advent of Jesus Christ. But the people rejected that messenger and his message and likewise killed the Lord of Glory, or so they thought. Therefore, there awaits another fulfillment of that verse. We believe the second fulfillment of that verse is soon coming in these last days, just prior to the second advent of our Lord. That glorious event is also spoken of in the following verse.
The word "manifestation" is the Greek word apokalupsis, which means revelation or unveiling. When that word is used of a person, it always means that he is visible. It is a like a master painter or sculptor who has completed His greatest work of art and has covered it, waiting for the right time to unveil or manifest His masterpiece to the eyes of all of the world! When the Master suddenly removes the covering, every eye shall see it! That word, first and foremost, certainly applies to the second advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. But it also applies to the Elijah which is in process. What is that process? We have answered that question in our previous message from the account of Elijah in 1 Kings, Chapter 17. We saw how the Lord Divinely and sovereignly processed Elijah, because the same process is going on today within His chosen vessels ... within a remnant.
Recall from 1 Kings 17:1 that Elijah just suddenly appeared. A few other scriptural examples of when the Lord has done things suddenly.
Therefore, we should live our lives as if the Lord will return at any time. Jesus said, in
After the death of Jehoshaphat, a good king of Judah, Jehoram, his son, reigned over Judah, but he was an evil and wicked king. In 2 Chronicles 21:12-15, we read,
Note that the actions of Jehoram affected ALL of the people! The interesting aspect of the writing to Jehoram, detailing the judgment of God, was that the writing came to Jehoram AFTER Elijah had been taken up by a whirlwind into heaven. How could that be? If we take any rifle and know all of the specifications about that rifle, consider the elevation of the rifle, and shoot at a target, then we can predict with great accuracy where a bullet would fall. The same is true of a bow and arrow. Elijah had seen the wickedness of Jehoram and so he knew the end result, unless Jehoram repented. The even more likely answer involves the foreknowledge of God, which foreknowledge God revealed to Elijah. God knew beforehand that Jehoram would not repent.
About 40 years ago, I heard a good brother share a message about the common bond between Elijah and Elisha. The title of his message was "And they two went on," which comes from 2 Kings 2:1-8,
Although several different verses in the Bible speak of the great power of God, there is only one verse that specifically says that God gave great power to men.
Acts 4:33, "And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all."
Note the purpose for which that great power was given ... NOT to do miracles or any such thing but rather to bear witness of the resurrection of Jesus.
However, throughout the centuries God has given power to some of His chosen vessels. One example is what happened on the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:8). Moses was also such a man. We read in 1 Samuel 3:19 that the LORD let none of Samuel's words fall to the ground. During the 1940's and 1950's William Branham, perhaps the foremost prophet in the United States at that time, had complete dominion over every form of cancer. Then consider Elijah. We may be inspired by the life and works of Elijah, who also received power from God. However, it is not enough to be inspired by their acts. Consider our God who has given such power to men at diverse times. The God of Elijah, and our God, is the only one who has the great power to save us and to change us. We must be changed into His image, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Some charismatic and Messianic groups of believers sing a song titled, "These are the days of Elijah." You might want to listen to that song on the internet. The words of the first verse are:
These are the days of Elijah, declaring the word of the Lord.
And these are the days of Your servant, Moses, righteousness being restored.
And though these are days of great trial, of famine and darkness and sword.
Still, we are the voice in the desert crying,"Prepare ye the way of the Lord!"
However, throughout the centuries God has given power to some of His chosen vessels. One example is what happened on the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:8). Moses was also such a man. We read in 1 Samuel 3:19 that the LORD let none of Samuel's words fall to the ground. During the 1940's and 1950's William Branham, perhaps the foremost prophet in the United States at that time, had complete dominion over every form of cancer. Then consider Elijah. We may be inspired by the life and works of Elijah, who also received power from God. However, it is not enough to be inspired by their acts. Consider our God who has given such power to men at diverse times. The God of Elijah, and our God, is the only one who has the great power to save us and to change us. We must be changed into His image, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Some charismatic and Messianic groups of believers sing a song titled, "These are the days of Elijah." You might want to listen to that song on the internet. The words of the first verse are:
These are the days of Elijah, declaring the word of the Lord.
And these are the days of Your servant, Moses, righteousness being restored.
And though these are days of great trial, of famine and darkness and sword.
Still, we are the voice in the desert crying,"Prepare ye the way of the Lord!"
It is a very "peppy" and "catchy" song. When Christian groups sing that song, most clap their hands, smile, dance, sway back and forth, run around the room waving a flag, etc. The reaction is like, "Hallelujah, brother ... these are the days of Elijah! Isn't that wonderful!" However, I wonder how many understand the real significance of "these are the days of Elijah." My guess is very few.
Then consider the fourth line in that first stanza, which says, "We are the voice in the desert crying, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord"." That seems to imply that the whole church is the "we." Not true! For 400 years just before Jesus began His ministry on earth, only one man was a voice in the desert crying, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord." That was John the Baptist. Historically and scripturally only a small remnant has said "we are the voice in the desert crying, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord."" Leonard Ravenhill once said, (quote) "Christians don't tell lies, they just go to church and sing them. How many times have you stood and sang, "Take my life and let it be" when you haven't given Him one ounce?" (end quote) Likewise, how many Christians have sung, "I surrender all"?
In Matthew 24, Jesus spoke about the signs of the end times. I believe the one of the most important signs in that Chapter is the great deception that unfortunately is arising in the world today. Current events in the United States bear witness to that snare. Jesus said that the deception would be so great that if it were possible, even the very elect would be deceived. We shared a message recently about the great deception.
The music to "These are the Days of Elijah" is usually accompanied by the tom-tom beat of drums and/or the dum-de-dum-dum strum of guitars. However, we need to be careful that it does not become just a way to arouse the emotions. William Branham told a close personal friend, about 60 years ago, that one of the five signs of growing apostasy within the Church would be music with a contemporary beat. To the best of my knowledge, Branham did not define what he meant by that, but a reasonable guess is the semi-rock music that goes on within charismatic churches today. That kind of music is very popular with the young people, but it has little, if anything, to do with worship. Although emotions have their place, we worship God in the spirit. Jesus said, in John 4:23-24,
Then consider the fourth line in that first stanza, which says, "We are the voice in the desert crying, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord"." That seems to imply that the whole church is the "we." Not true! For 400 years just before Jesus began His ministry on earth, only one man was a voice in the desert crying, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord." That was John the Baptist. Historically and scripturally only a small remnant has said "we are the voice in the desert crying, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord."" Leonard Ravenhill once said, (quote) "Christians don't tell lies, they just go to church and sing them. How many times have you stood and sang, "Take my life and let it be" when you haven't given Him one ounce?" (end quote) Likewise, how many Christians have sung, "I surrender all"?
In Matthew 24, Jesus spoke about the signs of the end times. I believe the one of the most important signs in that Chapter is the great deception that unfortunately is arising in the world today. Current events in the United States bear witness to that snare. Jesus said that the deception would be so great that if it were possible, even the very elect would be deceived. We shared a message recently about the great deception.
The music to "These are the Days of Elijah" is usually accompanied by the tom-tom beat of drums and/or the dum-de-dum-dum strum of guitars. However, we need to be careful that it does not become just a way to arouse the emotions. William Branham told a close personal friend, about 60 years ago, that one of the five signs of growing apostasy within the Church would be music with a contemporary beat. To the best of my knowledge, Branham did not define what he meant by that, but a reasonable guess is the semi-rock music that goes on within charismatic churches today. That kind of music is very popular with the young people, but it has little, if anything, to do with worship. Although emotions have their place, we worship God in the spirit. Jesus said, in John 4:23-24,
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Paul said, in Philippians 3:3, "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."
I have no idea whether the author of that song understood what he was saying when he wrote those words in 1994. However, it is true that these ARE the days of Elijah, declaring the word of the Lord! All too often, when we Christians sing songs, we do not really stop to think about the meaning of the words being sung. It has become a learned response. So what does it mean to say that these are the days of Elijah?
To answer that question let us go back to the time of Elijah. In his day, Israel had been corrupted greatly by the influence of Jezebel over her husband Ahab, with much idolatry and Baal worship. When Elijah suddenly appears, in 1 Kings 17, Ahab was the king of Israel. Scripture records (1 Kings 16:30) that Ahab did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him. The second verse of that song says "these are the days of Ezekiel." What do Elijah, Moses, and Ezekiel have in common? All three were prophets of the Lord. And all three were raised up by the Lord in times of idolatry and apostasy on the part of the chosen people of God. So when we sing, "these are the days of Elijah" we are saying that the Church today is caught up in much idolatry and apostasy. We must remember that Israel in the days of Elijah, Moses, and Ezekiel consisted of God's chosen people.
Baal worship was very prominent in those days. Baal, which means "lord, master, husband, or owner," was the male deity who owned the land, controlled its fertility, and was the giver of rain. According to Baal worship, the fertility of the land depended upon sexual relations between Baal and his female consort, Ashtoreth. The people believed that the agricultural harvest would not be plentiful unless the fertility powers were worshiped according to the ways of Canaan. Therefore, the people imitated the gods. The Canaanites had sacred, temple prostitution (Deuteronomy 23:18). Baal commonly took the form of a bull, the animal of strength and fertility. The people also began to name their children after Baal. Gideon was also called Jerub-baal. Saul, Jonathan, and David all had children with "baal" in their names. In other words, Baal worship glorified food and sex. Do you see any relationship to our modern day? Do people in the United States today glorify food and sex? A government report one year ago said that more than 40% of adults in America are obese. That is a pandemic that far eclipses the Covid-19 pandemic. Do any Christians fall into that category? A number of months ago I read a blog on the internet, written by a Christian pastor, which stated that the greatest pandemic in the church today is gossip. The political arena in the United States is divided into two, or perhaps three, different camps. The Christian arena in the United States is divided into hundreds of different camps.
The Baal religion taught men to control the gods for the benefit of the people. True Christianity, in contrast, says to serve God, who is sovereign, for who He is and out of gratitude for what He has done, but with no thought for "what do I get?"
Matthew 6:31-33,31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
The Lord is not asleep! He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep (Psalm 121:4). Because of the great idolatry in Israel, the Lord raised up a prophet named Elijah, which means the Lord is God. The major function of Elijah was to combat the forces of darkness in the form of idolatry and Baal worship. The same idolatry existed in the time of Paul. There was rampant fornication in the Church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 5). In addition, from
Philippians 3:18-19,18 (for many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:19 Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Paul also talks about those whose god is their belly in 1 Corinthians 11:20-34. Paul said, in
1 Corinthians 9:27, "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."
Idolatry likewise exists within the Church today; it is just of a more subtle variety. It is also very deceptive in that almost no believer thinks he/she is caught up in idolatry. How many "big-name" television evangelists have been exposed in the past 45 years for sexual immorality and/or extravagant living, in the form of multi-million dollar houses, expensive clothes, expensive automobiles, private jet planes, etc., all supposedly from "non-profit" ministries? I can easily name twelve such men and women and I am not even in the loop of hearing about the charismatic scandals. Back in the mid 1970's the Lord sent me to the headquarters of one of the foremost TV evangelists. Even way back then he was receiving 150 million dollars a year from primarily charismatic Christians. He invited me to sit in his huge office while some IBM techies presented their computer proposal to him. After my interview, I wrote him a very lengthy letter detailing why I could not work for him if he paid me $100,000 a year, which was quite a hefty salary 50 years ago. Of course, he never responded, but a few years later he was put in jail. He has been out of prison for a number of years now, with a new wife, but still successful in fleecing undiscerning Christians to give him lots of money.
One definition of "idolatry" (from the Columbia Encyclopedia) is the substitution of that which is natural for what is intended to be spiritual. Based on that definition, idolatry is certainly rampant within the Church today in the form of mixture, compromise, the false pursuit and love of money (based upon a false prosperity doctrine), traditions of men, entertainment, and on and on.
However, the Lord is doing the same work today as in the days of Elijah, Moses, and Ezekiel! The Lord always desires Christians to be filled with His spirit and to stand up for Him just like Elijah did. He is raising up an Elijah today to be used for the same purpose as the Elijah of old. The difference is that the Elijah of today is not a single man, but rather a small company of believers who are sold out to God, understand and walk in the kingdom of God, have a good measure of discernment, wisdom, knowledge and understanding, and have been (or will be) given that same power that was given to Elijah of old.
Some of the characteristics of Elijah are the following.
(1) sent by God
(2) his being cries out, "the Lord is my God"
(3) of like passions as we
(4) purged of all idolatry
(5) hidden from view for some time period in a rugged wilderness; refined by God; unveiled when the enemy comes in like a flood
(6) fears the Lord
(7) moves, acts, and speaks only at the direction of the Lord
(8) a sojourner, pilgrim, stranger ... "other worldly" ... marches to a different drummer
(9) misunderstood by his brethren; "troubles" all Israel (1 Kings 18:17-18)
(10) a righteous man
(11) prays earnestly
(12) works miracles, but is primarily a result of the miracle work of God within him
(13) granted access to those in high places
(14) characterized by true humility
(15) declares the word of the Lord
(16) jealous for the Lord of hosts
What can we say about the Elijah who is yet to come? They will have the same characteristics worked within them by the Holy Spirit.
Elijah also exhibited despair (1 Kings 19:4) as he fled from Jezebel and he requested for himself that he might die. Shortly after that Elijah said, in
1 Kings 19:10, "I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life to take it away."
Of course, the Lord then told Elijah that He had reserved 7,000 more that Elijah did not know about. Any person who believes that without his/her ministry the will of God cannot be done, needs further refinement in his/her life. I have not been able to determine the population of Israel in the time of Elijah. However, I assume that by the time of Elijah a very conservative estimate of the population would be 700,000. Seven thousand out of 700,000 represents a tithe of a tithe, or one percent. That is the same percentage of the chosen vessels that made up Gideon's army ... 300 out of 32,000. That is a sobering thought! Does that mean that only one percent of Christians walk in the kingdom of God on earth? The percentage was even more startling in the time of Moses, when only Joshua and Caleb, of those older than 20, actually entered the promised land.
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. Malachi 4:5-6
Note, from Verse 6, that Elijah shall "turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers." We must not try to interpret this in the natural sense, but spiritually. John writes about the fathers and children in 1 John 2:12-14.
The great and dreadful day of the Lord has not yet come. Therefore, this prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. The Jewish people today are still looking for Elijah to come. They also are still looking for the Messiah. Both came more than 2000 years ago. Jesus said, concerning John the Baptist,
And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. Matthew 11:14
The message in all of this could be the same as in Amos 5:4-6,
4 For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye Me, and ye shall live:
5 But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.
6 Seek the Lord and ye shall live;
A corresponding word might say: Seek the Lord Himself, the origin of all miracles, the only true miracle worker; but seek not miracles, and ye shall live. Are we looking for a miracle or for the One who is the source of all true and lasting miracles?
5 But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.
6 Seek the Lord and ye shall live;
A corresponding word might say: Seek the Lord Himself, the origin of all miracles, the only true miracle worker; but seek not miracles, and ye shall live. Are we looking for a miracle or for the One who is the source of all true and lasting miracles?
Behold, I will send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me: and the Lord, Whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold He shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 3:1
Yes, that messenger was John the Baptist, who prepared the way for the first advent of Jesus Christ. But the people rejected that messenger and his message and likewise killed the Lord of Glory, or so they thought. Therefore, there awaits another fulfillment of that verse. We believe the second fulfillment of that verse is soon coming in these last days, just prior to the second advent of our Lord. That glorious event is also spoken of in the following verse.
For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. Romans 8:19
The word "manifestation" is the Greek word apokalupsis, which means revelation or unveiling. When that word is used of a person, it always means that he is visible. It is a like a master painter or sculptor who has completed His greatest work of art and has covered it, waiting for the right time to unveil or manifest His masterpiece to the eyes of all of the world! When the Master suddenly removes the covering, every eye shall see it! That word, first and foremost, certainly applies to the second advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. But it also applies to the Elijah which is in process. What is that process? We have answered that question in our previous message from the account of Elijah in 1 Kings, Chapter 17. We saw how the Lord Divinely and sovereignly processed Elijah, because the same process is going on today within His chosen vessels ... within a remnant.
Recall from 1 Kings 17:1 that Elijah just suddenly appeared. A few other scriptural examples of when the Lord has done things suddenly.
Acts 2:1-2, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting."Acts 9:3, "And as he (Paul) journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:"Acts 16:25-26, "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed."
Therefore, we should live our lives as if the Lord will return at any time. Jesus said, in
Matthew 24:42-44, "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore, be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."
After the death of Jehoshaphat, a good king of Judah, Jehoram, his son, reigned over Judah, but he was an evil and wicked king. In 2 Chronicles 21:12-15, we read,
12 And there came a writing to him (Jehoram) from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,
13 But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father's house, which were better than thyself:14 Behold, with a great plague will the LORD smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods:15 And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day.
Note that the actions of Jehoram affected ALL of the people! The interesting aspect of the writing to Jehoram, detailing the judgment of God, was that the writing came to Jehoram AFTER Elijah had been taken up by a whirlwind into heaven. How could that be? If we take any rifle and know all of the specifications about that rifle, consider the elevation of the rifle, and shoot at a target, then we can predict with great accuracy where a bullet would fall. The same is true of a bow and arrow. Elijah had seen the wickedness of Jehoram and so he knew the end result, unless Jehoram repented. The even more likely answer involves the foreknowledge of God, which foreknowledge God revealed to Elijah. God knew beforehand that Jehoram would not repent.
About 40 years ago, I heard a good brother share a message about the common bond between Elijah and Elisha. The title of his message was "And they two went on," which comes from 2 Kings 2:1-8,
1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
That good brother emphasized the oneness that existed between Elijah and Elisha, based on Verse 6, "And they two went on." Although Elijah and Elisha were both prophets, I saw and still discern, distinct differences between the two.
To contrast Elijah and Elisha, Elijah is mentioned by name 30 times in the New Testament; Elisha is mentioned once. Elijah means God is the Lord; Elisha means God of supplication or God of riches.
Elijah had a mantle. There are only four persons recorded in the Old Testament who had a mantle: Samuel, Ezra, Job, and Elijah. With all four, the Hebrew word for mantle means a cloak, robe, or coat; in other words, a physical, outer garment. Of these four, only Elijah is recorded to have had a mantle as described by a different Hebrew word, 'addereth, which comes from a root word which means to expand or to be great or magnificent; to become glorious or honorable; in other words, something far more than in the physical sense. For comparison, Elijah had a mantle (both physically and spiritually); Elisha had no mantle of any kind. In 2 Kings 2:14, after Elijah had been taken up in a whirlwind, Elisha picked up the (physical) mantle of Elijah, smote the waters of the Jordan and said, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" And the Lord parted the waters. But was that because of the great prophet Elisha? I don't think so. Because at least at that point in time Elisha was not a man of inner substance. It was because of the office of Elisha; for the Lord had told Elijah to anoint Elisha "to be prophet in thy room." Elisha had no mantle of his own.
In 2 Kings 2:1-8, Elijah said that the Lord had sent him to Bethel; Elisha said, "I'm going with you." Then Elijah said that the Lord had sent him to Jericho; Elisha said, "I'm going with you." Then Elijah said that the Lord had sent him to Jordan; Elisha said, "I'm going with you." In other words, Elisha never said that the Lord also had sent him to those places. Every time that Elijah ever did anything or went anywhere, it was because the Lord told him. Check all the references to Elijah. He is mentioned in 1 Kings 17 through 2 Kings 2. So Elijah went only where the Lord told him to go, except for one time. That one time is recorded in 1 Kings 19:3 when Jezebel, wife of Ahab, told Elijah that she was going to kill him. After Elijah had slain all 450 prophets of Baal, Elijah ran for his life at the threat of a woman. The Lord never told Elijah to go. This is borne out in 1 Kings 19:9 and 13, when the Lord came to Elijah and twice said to him, "What doest thou here, Elijah?" In other words, what are you doing here? I never sent you here. In contrast, we have not yet found even one verse where Elisha says that the Lord sent him anywhere. He just went. Elisha was attracted by what he saw in Elijah. Elijah was attracted by the Lord. There IS a difference!
Should we forget that Elijah was a man of spiritual substance when he was caught up in the whirlwind? Is it possible that Elijah knew that Elisha was not ready for the ministry that Elijah knew about? Is that why Elijah, on every occasion in 2 Kings 2, told Elisha to "Tarry here, I pray thee." We believe that it was more than possible. TARRY! Wait patiently on the Lord. What a difficult thing that is for us to do! Note that Elijah was translated outside of Israel. Moses, likewise, was buried by the Lord outside of Israel, outside the camp.
Elisha saw something in Elijah that attracted him. He was attracted by the miracles. What Elisha asked for, he received. He did twice as many miracles (sixteen as compared to eight recorded for Elijah). He excelled in the external. How did he fare with the more important part of the internal? Yes, it is true that the Lord had told Elijah (1 Kings 19:16) to anoint Elisha "to be prophet in thy room." So Elisha was called, and chosen; but was he faithful? Solomon was also called and chosen. What was the end of Solomon?
After Elijah had been taken up in a whirlwind, Elisha picked up Elijah's mantle and went back to Jordan (2 Kings 2:13). Then Elisha went back to Jericho (2 Kings 2:18); then Elisha went back to Bethel (2 Kings 2:23); then he went back to Gilgal (2 Kings 4:3). So Elisha retraced his steps and returned to his beginnings. He went back. It also seems that the Lord gave Elisha the same opportunities that He gave to Elijah. In 1 Kings 17, Elijah just appears on the scene and makes a bold prophecy in verse one, which the Lord honored. This is comparable to Elisha in 2 Kings 2:14. However, the Lord desired to work something within both prophets. So the Lord sent Elijah to a widow woman as part of his refinement process (1 Kings 17:9). I believe that the Lord sent Elisha to the great (but unnamed) woman in 2 Kings 4 so that Elisha might be refined. I am not sure that Elisha got the message.
So Elisha did many miracles; but Elijah was a man of inner substance. The Lord says that He will send you Elijah (not Elisha) the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord (Malachi 4:5). That verse has not yet been fulfilled. Will the Elijah still to come be the same as the manifestation of the sons of God in Romans 8:19? That gets us right back to Christ in you, the hope of glory!
Therefore, do not be quick to run after the great miracle workers.
Now, what does this have to do with current events? Well, it means the same thing that it has throughout the centuries. Jesus, in the Gospel of John, Chapter 6, talked about those whose desire was to see miracles. To whom do believers today flock to by the thousands? those who have spectacular ministries of healing and miracles. People have always been attracted to the miraculous and the supernatural. Are these ministries and gifts genuine? Some may be. But is there any real substance therein? Only the Lord knows. But there always seem to be more Elishas than Elijahs.
To contrast Elijah and Elisha, Elijah is mentioned by name 30 times in the New Testament; Elisha is mentioned once. Elijah means God is the Lord; Elisha means God of supplication or God of riches.
Elijah had a mantle. There are only four persons recorded in the Old Testament who had a mantle: Samuel, Ezra, Job, and Elijah. With all four, the Hebrew word for mantle means a cloak, robe, or coat; in other words, a physical, outer garment. Of these four, only Elijah is recorded to have had a mantle as described by a different Hebrew word, 'addereth, which comes from a root word which means to expand or to be great or magnificent; to become glorious or honorable; in other words, something far more than in the physical sense. For comparison, Elijah had a mantle (both physically and spiritually); Elisha had no mantle of any kind. In 2 Kings 2:14, after Elijah had been taken up in a whirlwind, Elisha picked up the (physical) mantle of Elijah, smote the waters of the Jordan and said, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" And the Lord parted the waters. But was that because of the great prophet Elisha? I don't think so. Because at least at that point in time Elisha was not a man of inner substance. It was because of the office of Elisha; for the Lord had told Elijah to anoint Elisha "to be prophet in thy room." Elisha had no mantle of his own.
In 2 Kings 2:1-8, Elijah said that the Lord had sent him to Bethel; Elisha said, "I'm going with you." Then Elijah said that the Lord had sent him to Jericho; Elisha said, "I'm going with you." Then Elijah said that the Lord had sent him to Jordan; Elisha said, "I'm going with you." In other words, Elisha never said that the Lord also had sent him to those places. Every time that Elijah ever did anything or went anywhere, it was because the Lord told him. Check all the references to Elijah. He is mentioned in 1 Kings 17 through 2 Kings 2. So Elijah went only where the Lord told him to go, except for one time. That one time is recorded in 1 Kings 19:3 when Jezebel, wife of Ahab, told Elijah that she was going to kill him. After Elijah had slain all 450 prophets of Baal, Elijah ran for his life at the threat of a woman. The Lord never told Elijah to go. This is borne out in 1 Kings 19:9 and 13, when the Lord came to Elijah and twice said to him, "What doest thou here, Elijah?" In other words, what are you doing here? I never sent you here. In contrast, we have not yet found even one verse where Elisha says that the Lord sent him anywhere. He just went. Elisha was attracted by what he saw in Elijah. Elijah was attracted by the Lord. There IS a difference!
Should we forget that Elijah was a man of spiritual substance when he was caught up in the whirlwind? Is it possible that Elijah knew that Elisha was not ready for the ministry that Elijah knew about? Is that why Elijah, on every occasion in 2 Kings 2, told Elisha to "Tarry here, I pray thee." We believe that it was more than possible. TARRY! Wait patiently on the Lord. What a difficult thing that is for us to do! Note that Elijah was translated outside of Israel. Moses, likewise, was buried by the Lord outside of Israel, outside the camp.
Elisha saw something in Elijah that attracted him. He was attracted by the miracles. What Elisha asked for, he received. He did twice as many miracles (sixteen as compared to eight recorded for Elijah). He excelled in the external. How did he fare with the more important part of the internal? Yes, it is true that the Lord had told Elijah (1 Kings 19:16) to anoint Elisha "to be prophet in thy room." So Elisha was called, and chosen; but was he faithful? Solomon was also called and chosen. What was the end of Solomon?
After Elijah had been taken up in a whirlwind, Elisha picked up Elijah's mantle and went back to Jordan (2 Kings 2:13). Then Elisha went back to Jericho (2 Kings 2:18); then Elisha went back to Bethel (2 Kings 2:23); then he went back to Gilgal (2 Kings 4:3). So Elisha retraced his steps and returned to his beginnings. He went back. It also seems that the Lord gave Elisha the same opportunities that He gave to Elijah. In 1 Kings 17, Elijah just appears on the scene and makes a bold prophecy in verse one, which the Lord honored. This is comparable to Elisha in 2 Kings 2:14. However, the Lord desired to work something within both prophets. So the Lord sent Elijah to a widow woman as part of his refinement process (1 Kings 17:9). I believe that the Lord sent Elisha to the great (but unnamed) woman in 2 Kings 4 so that Elisha might be refined. I am not sure that Elisha got the message.
So Elisha did many miracles; but Elijah was a man of inner substance. The Lord says that He will send you Elijah (not Elisha) the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord (Malachi 4:5). That verse has not yet been fulfilled. Will the Elijah still to come be the same as the manifestation of the sons of God in Romans 8:19? That gets us right back to Christ in you, the hope of glory!
Therefore, do not be quick to run after the great miracle workers.
Now, what does this have to do with current events? Well, it means the same thing that it has throughout the centuries. Jesus, in the Gospel of John, Chapter 6, talked about those whose desire was to see miracles. To whom do believers today flock to by the thousands? those who have spectacular ministries of healing and miracles. People have always been attracted to the miraculous and the supernatural. Are these ministries and gifts genuine? Some may be. But is there any real substance therein? Only the Lord knows. But there always seem to be more Elishas than Elijahs.
Ezekiel 44:23, "And they (the sons of Zadok) shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean."
Lord, give us a great measure of discernment to help us to avoid being deceived in these last days. Lord, we ask that you manifest the sons of Zadok who will teach us the difference between the holy and the profane, and cause us to discern between the unclean and the clean.
Amen.
Amen.
