10 And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11 And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; 12 but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.
Completely missing the import of Jesus’ prophecy of His resurrection, the disciples rather followed along with the Jewish thinking of the day, expecting that the coming of Messiah would lead to the end times. While there was much debate among the various factions about the details, there was general agreement among the Jews that the next event in the prophetic plan, as anticipated by the OT prophets, was the restoration of the kingdom to its rightful place as foremost among the nations. For that, as the disciples pointed out, the scribes taught that Elijah must first come to restore everything (Malachi 4:5).
The appearance of Elijah along with Jesus and Moses would naturally play into that thinking. Some have suggested that Peter’s idea of building tents (tabernacles) for the three reflects anticipation of the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths) in Zechariah 14, which would presumably take place at the advent of kingdom restoration. Plainly put, Peter was confused, as he was later with some of the more difficult teachings of the apostle Paul (2 Peter 3:15-16). The perplexity is somewhat understandable, for Elijah’s brief appearance with Jesus on the mountain top could hardly be considered the ultimate fulfillment of the prophecy.
The Lord graced Peter with a gentle, but firm response to his dilemma. The fulfillment of the prophecy was to be found in John the Baptist, rather than the physical return of Elijah—at least for the present time. John was not a re-incarnation of Elijah—rather Elijah was a picture, so to speak, pointing to or prefiguring the Baptist. John was sent to prepare the people for their Messiah, by calling them to repentance. His mission of restoration was rejected, symbolized by his imprisonment and subsequent death. He was the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy, foreshadowing Messiah’s suffering, “the Son of Man.”
Prophecy today is subject to many wild interpretations, with bold predictions of specific fulfillments applied to contemporary events, most often related to the Middle East. Such makes for exciting preaching, but often is misinformed. Prophecies were not given for our enjoyment, but simply to challenge us to ready ourselves for the return of Christ.
Lord, help me to not have a morbid curiosity for minute details about prophecy. Rather, challenge me to love, holiness and good deeds as I await Your return.
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