PROPHET TO OUR GENERATION

PROPHET TO OUR GENERATION

God said, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 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.) This verse, having a compound meaning, is referring to TWO SEPARATE COMINGS OF ELIJAH. John the Baptist, and one at the end of the Gentile Age, and before Daniel's Seventieth Week when the present world is to be cleansed by fire for the Millennium (Malachi 4:1-3.)
An angel said concerning John the Baptist, "And he shall go before Messiah in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children." John's ministry fulfilled this much of Malachi 4:6 but that was all, for the angel went on, "and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:17.) The angel said nothing about John turning "the heart of the children to their fathers," because that part of Malachi 4:5-6 did NOT pertain to John.
Jesus said John the Baptist was Elijah, that's true. "For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John" (Genesis 3:24; Malachi 3:1; Luke 1:13-17.) "And if you will receive it, John is the Elijah which was to come" (Matthew 11:7-14.) But now turn to John 1:19-23, "This is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him if he was Messiah, he confessed, I am not the Christ. So they asked him, 'Are you the Elijah (of Malachi 4:5-6?)' And he answered, 'NO! I am NOT the Elijah promised before the Tribulation, the great and dreadful day of the Lord. I am the Elijah of Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1, the voice of one crying in the wilderness—Make straight the way of the LORD."
Does the Bible contradict itself? Not at all! Jesus said John was Elijah and John said he wasn't. John knew precisely who he was. God is known by faith—NOT learning—they were looking for the WRONG Elijah. When John quoted the Scripture, their Bible knowledge condemned them. He didn't try explaining it to those ministers who would only seek to justify what they'd learned in Bible school.
The Hebrews expected an Elijah to forerun a Messiah who would destroy Rome and establish the kingdom of Israel, which is the Millennium (Acts 1:6.) Knowledge without faith caused them to confuse the Lord's SECOND physical Coming with His FIRST, making the Word of no effect to them.
Jesus confirmed Isaiah's prophecy of Israel's spiritual blindness (Isaiah 6:9-10; Matthew 13:10-17.) How were they blinded? Bible learning aside from faith had made them unteachable, and they rejected God's vindicated PROPHETS for the educated guesses of THEOLOGIANS.
Although Jesus had told them plainly in Matthew 11 that John the Baptist was Elijah; some time later in Matthew 17, after showing them a vision of His Second Coming in glory for the Millenniel Reign, preceded by two prophets with the Anointings which were upon Moses and Elijah, they were still confused.
Questioned by His disciples, Christ Himself identified Malachi 4:5-6 as
TWO comings of Elijah: "His disciples inquired, saying, 'The scribes say that Elijah must first come, what will he do?' Jesus answered, 'They're correct saying that Elijah truly WILL COME BEFORE the Millennium, (FUTURE tense,) and his ministry at that time will be to RESTORE ALL THINGS. But I say unto you that Elijah HAS COME ALREADY, (PAST tense,) and his ministry was to lay the ax and UPROOT ALL THINGS. But they knew him not and have done unto him whatsoever they chose.' Then the disciples understood that he spoke of John the Baptist" (Matthew 17:1-13.)
Can you see the TWO comings of Elijah identified by Jesus? He spoke of an Elijah who foreran His FIRST Coming as Son of man—the prophet and Kinsman Redeemer—to pay the price of redemption with His Own life. Moses, Ruth, Psalms, Hosea and Malachi taught, Israel would then reject Him and He would turn to the Gentiles to call out a Bride, a people for His NAME.
Jesus showed Peter, James and John a preview of "the Son of man coming in His Kingdom," as Son of David for the Millennium, preceded by the witnesses of Zechariah 4 and Revelation 11 who preach to Israel—AFTER the Gentile dispensation, and AFTER the first resurrection. God has not forsaken the nation of Israel; a remnant of 144,000 will receive the Spirit, 12,000 out of each tribe, when he reveals Himself to them by faith. The disciples understood all of this but they also knew Malachi 4:5-6 spoke of a SECOND coming of the Spirit which was upon Elijah, Elisha and John the Baptist, to RESTORE the Word to the Gentiles BEFORE Christ's Return to "build again the tabernacle of David" (Isaiah 11:10-12; 54:1-5; Daniel 9:24-27; Amos 9:11-15 and Acts 15:1-17.)
Like Abraham and believers in every age, the disciples were looking forward to the kingdom of God on earth. They knew Israel would become apostate and reject Messiah and that the Gentile church also would apostatize and reject Him. This was hardly "fresh revelation:" Paul explains it quite clearly in Romans 11, as do Peter and James in Acts 2 and 15.
Initially, the disciples expected the Millennium to be established in their lifetime (Acts 1:6,) so Jesus said, "Some of you won't see death before you see the Kingdom coming in power," and He showed them the vision. But they had been taught a prophet with the anointing of Elijah would first come and RESTORE "all things spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began"—the Word. They were confused because this SECOND Elijah did not appear in the vision. They were "fishing," and thought if Jesus could help them to place THIS Elijah, they might know "the day or hour" when the Kingdom would be restored. (He only comes for those who are LOOKING for Him, those who love His appearing). Jesus knew this was way in the future: at that time it wasn't even revealed to Him.
Both Elijah ministries of Malachi 4:5-6 were to God's CHILDREN, not to His SERVANTS. The FIRST was to turn the heart of the apostolic fathers to the CHILDREN. John's ministry began to accomplish this from the Day of Pentecost—three and a half years after his death!!! Israel is God's SERVANT nation while the Gentile Church is His placed CHILDREN. This FIRST Elijah ministry could NOT have been fulfilled before Calvary and Pentecost, as God was dealing EXCLUSIVELY with His servant Israel (Matthew 10:5-6; 15:24; John 1:11.) Jesus told Peter to wait until he was born-again before trying to turn the heart of all nations (Luke 22:32; 24:47-49; Acts 1:4.) Two thousand years later, the SECOND Elijah ministry would RESTORE the faith once delivered unto the saints of Pentecost, for the manifestation of the sons of God and the translation.
John was sent to God's SERVANT nation: he could not possibly have fulfilled Malachi 4:5-6. In his life-time, John could only point to the Patriarchal fathers, denying Calvary and the Lamb of God he introduced! NO, the FIRST Elijah ministry of Malachi 4:5-6 was the RESULT of John's ministry AFTER his death. It's two thousand years since John's death, and the tribulation has not begun. The earth has not burnt up, and Christ and the saints have not stepped out on the ashes of the wicked for a thousand years of peace. John clearly was NOT the SECOND Elijah of Malachi, sent with the Message of restoration, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord (Malachi 4:1-3.)
Whereas John came to Israel, the Elijah ministry of RESTORATION comes to the Gentile church BEFORE the Tribulation—before the plagues of judgment smite the earth. As he and Jesus well knew, John was the Elijah of Malachi 3, who restored nothing (Luke 1:17; John 1:23.)
Many other Scriptures are like Malachi 4:6, where the history of thousands of years is suspended on a comma. Take for instance, Isaiah 11:4; 61:1-2; Daniel 9:24-27; Zechariah 13:7 and Malachi 3:1-4.
Now read Acts 3:l9-21, where Peter talks about Jesus Christ, "Whom the heaven must receive until the times of RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS." We see the Lord Whom we love must REMAIN IN HEAVEN, until all the Word is restored and manifested in His Bride on earth. Then He'll catch Her away for the Wedding Supper, in the twinkle of an eye. The Elijah of Malachi 4, whose ministry RESTORES ALL THINGS therefore was not John, but another who comes at the end of the Gentile dispensation BEFORE our Lord's return.
In Matthew 24:37-39 Jesus invites us to review Genesis 6, "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Intermixing, lust and sexual immorality were rife: it grieved God He had ever put man in flesh so he could be tempted. God NEVER FORGAVE THEM and destroyed all life save Enoch and those who were in the ark. Jesus, Peter and Jude said these conditions would repeat in the end time: intermarriage between races, promiscuous living to satisfy the lust of the flesh, great advances in science and engineering and . . . a prophet.
Now Enoch was a prophet, ONE man out of the seventh generation from the first Adam, with a perfect understanding of the mind of God: such agreement or oneness, he was translated without death. Enoch typed the Elect Church, the Bride of Christ in the end days, who will fulfill Jesus' prayer, "That they may all be one in the agreement of faith, as You and I are One, and therefore have no need of a mediator" (John 17:21-26.)
Christ's Bride, insignificant in number, will be called out of Laodicea, the seventh generation from the Second Adam. Under preeminence to the Word by perfect faith, what She says God will do during the manifestation of the sons of God (Matthew 4:4; Ephesians 5:24; John 5:19.) After this short and powerful demonstration of the Spirit, this little hunted and persecuted group will be translated.
Noah types the foolish virgin who are saved, but having missed the full Atonement or new birth, will go into the Great Tribulation where they will be martyred.
Those who kept not their first estate of holiness and separation, but left their own habitation to intermingle with the descendants of Cain during the long-suffering of God in the days before the Flood, are LOST. They type the wicked majority of today who share the same destiny (II Timothy 3 & 4; Jude 3-7; Revelation 17:8; 20:19-21.)
Can you see the conditions of the "days of Noah" reproduced today? Is there an unashamed corruption of morals? Is the church apostate, wholly absorbed in worldly matters? Despite God's condemnation, they actually endorse and encourage intermarriage between the races (Genesis 1:11; 6:1-4; Daniel 2:43.) Look at the great advances in science and learning: in this century we've advanced from the horse and cart to space travel. Jesus foretold these conditions for the end of the Gentile dispensation, but He also promised a "gathering together unto the Word," through perfect faith like Enoch's (Genesis 49:10; II Thessalonians 2:1; Hebrews 11:5-6; Revelation 18:4.)
In the gospels, we read of two grinding in the mill, one is taken, another one left; again, two are working in the field, one is taken, and the other one left, and so-on. The disciples ask Jesus, "Where are they taken to, Lord?" He replies, "Wheresoever the Carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together." This is not the translation of the living saints as so many men teach. They are gathered around the restored Word Luke 17:37.)
The Message of the end-time Elijah will RESTORE the hearts of the children to the Bible faith understood by the apostolic fathers. This ministry, described in Revelation 10:7 and 18:1-4, will separate Christ's Bride from the apostate church, which is nothing more than the world with God's Name.
Let us identify this Elijah through the last Book of the Bible, called the REVELATION OR UNVEILING OF CHRIST, THE WORD. In chapters 2 and 3, Jesus Christ is dictating seven letters to seven Gentile churches in Asia Minor. The conditions portray the whole period of Christ's ministry as Mediator, through the seven dispensations of Grace, or Church Ages, since Pentecost where the faith was pure. These symbols were SEALED from our understanding "until the time of the end" when God promised to reveal the mystery through a prophet, the "angel" or Messenger to the last Church Age.
Each Church Age had its own angel (Revelation 2:1,8,12; 3:1, 7,14.) The word "angel" is Greek for Messenger, not necessarily a supernatural Being—more often a man (Galations 1:8-9; 4:14; Hebrews 13:2; Revelation 22:8-9.) Although Peter had the faith keys which unlocked the kingdom or new birth to the Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles in Pentecost; Paul was the angel to the first or Ephesian Church Age which commenced in about AD 53 and lasted until 170 (Acts 9:15; 19; Romans 11:13; 15:15-16; Galatians 1:11-12; 2:6-8; Ephesians 3:1-8; II Timothy 1:11; Revelations 2:1.) Paul established the Church that was in Ephesus.
Paul set the Church in order and wrote the New Testament. The Gospels are actually four witnesses to the life of Jesus Christ under the OLD TESTAMENT and record many of His prophecies. The Book of Acts testifies how the Holy Spirit acted in the lives of the early saints, and how He'll behave in all who are born again and under preeminence. Although many are not aware of it, Paul was a prophet (Acts 13:1; 20:27; I Corinthians 14:37-38; Galatians 1:8-12; I Thessalonians 2:13.)
According to Revelations 1-3 and Acts 19, the faith once delivered to the Pentecostal saints began to be compromised just twenty years later in the Ephesian Age which "left its first Love"—Christ, the Word. As the voice of "the majority" overcame the Voice of inspiration, spiritual discernment and vigilance against false apostles were in decline. Soon Jewish fables and pagan rites began to pollute the faith. In the Pergamean Age, the Roman Catholic church organized at the First Nicaea Council of 325 and eventually submerged the world in almost a thousand years of Dark Ages. The Protestants made great progress in the attempted reforms to the Roman system of worship, until about the time of World War II, when they began their rapid decline to apostasy.
The Messenger or major apostle to each Age comes at the END of the age. Peter came at the end of the Jewish Dispensation and turned the key, Paul carried the Fire from the end of Pentecost to Ephesus; Irenaeus carried It over to Smyrna and so-on. The last three Ages were the Reformation, whose messengers were Martin Luther, John Wesley, and William Branham. The last came at the end of Laodicea and RESTORED "Light in the evening time."
 Each Church Age was a separate "rest," Sabbath, or "Mercy Seat" for the elected of God. The saints' ONLY entrance to that Rest or new birth, was by "hearing what the angel was saying to the Church in THAT Age," as Jesus admonished at the conclusion of the Message to each Age (Romans 10:17; I John 1:7; Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 36, 13, 22.)
God does not receive a second-hand religion and has no grandchildren; His children are the manifestation of the Word for THEIR AGE. Jesus said "It is ONLY by walking in the revealed Light I am manifesting in YOUR day that you can be under the Blood, or born again" (I John 1:7.)
There were seven distinct and separate Church Ages or Rests and seven major apostles; each brought a separate and distinct Message. By faith in which the saints became written epistles of the Word for their Age. Without the Message for YOUR DAY it is IMPOSSIBLE to be born again. The Messages of Sardis, Philadelphia, or Laodicea produced the new birth IN THEIR DAYS but they will not work today.
ALL Seven Church Ages are over as spiritual moves of God, and there is no salvation in any denominational message today. Like Israel, they're impersonating a genuine move of God which is already fulfilled.
 The angel to the last Church Age was to be a prophet whose ministry finishes "the mystery of God," and RESTORES the faith of the children to the faith of Paul and the Pentecostal fathers. This is the faith by which Christ and His Bride of all Ages will judge the world.
 Now the Bride has "the true sayings of God," she can't be deceived by creed and denominational leaven (Revelations 19:7-9; 22:10-21.)
The Seventh Age is the last Church Age. It is the Age of apostasy, but also the Age in which Elijah's Message will restore a "little Flock" to perfect understanding of the Word. The man with the spirit of Elijah will also be the angel to the Seventh Church Age. As John the Baptist foreran the Lord's First Coming, his Message will introduce the Second Coming. His Message condemns the perverted religious systems, and calls God's people to repent and return to the Word, or perish with the world (Revelation 3:14-22; 10:1-7; 14:9-11; 18:1-4.)
Daniel was told to "Shut up the words, and seal the Book, even to the time of the end"—"But in days of the Voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished as He hath declared to His servants the prophets" (Daniel 12:4; Revelation 10:7.) The vision revealed in symbols to Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah and John will be revealed in our day to the Seventh Church Age messenger—"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret to His servants the prophets (Amos 3:7.)
God always sends a prophet with warning before judgment. Before the Gentile dispensation ends and the Seventh Trumpet Angel calls Israel to the Atonement through the Message of the "two witnesses," the "mystery of God" must be revealed to perfect the Gentile Church. The Bride must be restored to the unity of the Pentecostal faith for the manifestation of the sons of God, glorification of the Church Age saints, and their body change without death (Hebrews, 11:40.) The last "angel" is also the prophet of Malachi 4. Bishop, pope, pastor, evangelist, deacon—no matter who we are, or imagine ourselves to be—unless we receive the Message of God's prophet, there is no way we can be restored to the Word in this day and accounted worthy for the translation. Jesus promised to send a prophet and there is no way one can be born again without receiving his Message—the Word for the hour.
 According to Revelation 3:20, Laodicea reject their messenger and his Message. This puts God outside the denominational camp; it's time to call His Bride out, and bring judgment on the Christ-rejecting Gentiles. The Seventh Seal brings Christ back to earth. The Message of the Seventh Angel IS the Coming of Christ, for It's the Fullness of the Word.
We must recognize OUR day and it's Message. God is only writing epistles of the Word He is fulfilling NOW, not impersonating an age gone by. How can we be in the rapture if we are STILL trying to fulfill the Commission Christ gave the Church in the BEGINNING? "Go and make disciples in all the world, baptizing them in the Name of the LORD JESUS CHRIST which is the NAME (singular) of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19.) The days of great revivals and missionary moves are OVER. Christ said the END TIME evangelism and final shout is: "Come out of Babylon and be filled with the Spirit" (Matthew 25:1-13; I Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 18:4.)
Jesus said, "ALL those virgins—wise AND foolish—heard the midnight cry, "trimmed" their revelation, and separated from Babylon and her Protestant daughters. These apostate churches are called denominational harlots because they believe not the truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness and will be stoned and burned with Fire at the end of the Age." (Matthew 25:1-13; Revelation 2:21-24; 17:5; 19:20.)
The mystery of iniquity working in the children of disobedience. Iniquity is doing what you KNOW to be wrong. After the faith was lost, Christ "winked" at the ignorance of the saints, but to continue following error after Truth had been revealed became iniquity. We must walk in the Light AS Christ reveals It. Organized religion is NOT of God and cannot follow the Spirit, because it's led by man-made statements of `faith' which compromise the Word and limit God to the Light of a previous day. Jesus acknowledged the genuine gifts of the Holy Spirit in their ministry. They spoke with other tongues, raised the dead, healed the sick and prophesied things which actually came to pass. But when they REFUSED further Light, their folly was made manifest: they were NOT children of Light but "workers of iniquity" (Matthew; 7:21-23; Ephesians 2:1-2; II Thessalonians 2:7-12; Revelations 22:18-19.)
But what about "the mystery of God?" Christ is the mystery of God revealed in the flesh of one Man—born of a virgin less than two thousand years ago—"the beginning of the creation of God" (Revelation 3:14.) In God's foreknowledge, "crucified before the foundation of the world." His Bride, the Elect or true Church, always "in" Him—was crucified in Him on Calvary. Resurrected in Him, raised up together with Him, and is now seated together in heavenly places "in" Him (Ephesians 2:6.)
The Church is the mystery of Christ revealed in the CONTINUATION of the creation of God—the many membered Body—Jesus Christ, His Brothers and Sisters (Ephesians 1.) When glorified at the first Resurrection,—the foolish virgin, those who have been good and kind to the Bride, those who don't worship the beast or his image, the Fifth Seal Jews, and so-on—will worship God through Eternity in the Form of His Family: Jesus Christ and the New Testament Church.
If we know what part of the Word was revealed to each Age, then those who manifested it in their Age are the ones whose names are recorded.

In revealing the "mystery of God"—WHO made up the Body in each Age and HOW they were baptized into the Body or born-again, the work of the Adversary and anti-Christ is also exposed. The Devil seeks to be worshipped as God. Christ is building His "little Flock" by faith in the Word; Satan is building a massive church by Bible learning WITHOUT faith—the mark of the beast (Isaiah 14; II Thessalonians 2:1-7.) One is worshipping God in spirit and truth, the other is worshipping Satan AS God "for to be carnally minded is enmity against God" (Romans 8:7.)
Some of the mysteries revealed by this Elijah are: original sin—the seed of the Serpent and the Seed of God; the separate covenants God established between men and women (Genesis 3:1-21,) the Godhead (I Timothy 3:16,) Redemption (Ruth,) Mystery Babylon and her daughters (Revelation 17,) iniquity (II Thessalonians 2,) and the translation of the living saints (I Corinthians 15:51-54.)

Do not you reject your Message!
Jesus warned us, "As it was in the days of Noah." All who rejected Noah's message perished. To reject God's prophet is to reject God, (Exodus 16:2; I Samuel 8:4-7.) However, most people WILL reject our prophet-messenger. It's always been that way. Few prophets were received by the majority of people in their day (Matthew 5:11-12; Acts 7:51.)
Out of many billions, only seven listened to Noah. The children of IsraeI continually murmured and rebelled against Moses; they rejected Samuel; Elijah was so hated he thought he was the only one left who loved God; the people scoffed at Jeremiah. Jesus said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee . . ." (Matthew 23:34-37.)
All the Scriptures concerning this end time Elijah must be fulfilled, yet simply and humbly, as Isaiah's spectacular prophecy concerning John the Baptist was fulfilled; most will miss it (Isaiah 40:4-5; Matthew 3:1-12.)
But how can we find this true prophet messenger amidst the multitude of false prophets that abound today? Jesus said, "by their fruit you shall know them," NOT the fruit of the Spirit, the teaching promised for the hour (Psalms 1:1-3; Matthew 7:15-20.) Not their gifts and miracles, for many will do signs and wonders in the Name of Jesus Christ, and be workers of iniquity. False prophets will look like the sheep, and be WIDELY ACCEPTED MEN, LIKED, ADMIRED AND WELL SPOKEN OF BY ALL (Matthew 7:22-23; Mark 13:22; Luke 6:26.) False prophets will mislead many because much of what they speak is true, yet they will really be after your money (II Peter 2:1-3.)
False Prophets will make people trust in a lie, speaking comfortable words like, "Be at peace, you'll be in the Rapture, whether your life lines up with the Word or not." False prophets will look and act so close to the real prophet, only the elect will not be deceived (Jeremiah 23:16-17; 28:15; Matthew 24:24.)
But there is one final test. God said, "And if thou say, in thine heart, How shall we know the Word Which the Lord hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the Name of the LORD, and the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously . . . thou shalt not be afraid of him. "That is how to tell a true prophet, what he speaks in the Name of the Lord comes to pass" (Deuteronomy l8:21-22; Jeremiah 28:9.)
This end time Elijah will have "THUS SAITH THE LORD." When he says "THUS SAITH THE LORD" on doctrine, it will be in perfect accord with scripture. When he says, "THUS SAITH THE LORD, such and such will happen," the thing will come to pass exactly as spoken. If ever it failed to be perfect, he would prove not to be a prophet, for a prophet's words under the Anointing are not his own, they are God's Words and cannot fail (II Peter 1:20-21.)
Concerning John the Baptist Jesus said, "But I say unto you, that Elijah is come already, and they KNEW HIM NOT, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed" (Matthew 17:12-13.) All Israel were looking for Elijah yet he came and went and THEY MlSSED HIM! Would it come as any surprise if the end-time Elijah would come and go . . . and the majority of people miss him too? That ought to make us desperate before God in fervent prayer, for we know the hour is late and our Lord's Coming nigh.
Simply recognizing this prophet messenger won't save anyone; salvation comes only through faith: we must heed his MESSAGE. His MESSAGE restores perfect faith in Jesus Christ the pure Word—free from man-made creed and tradition, philosophy, psychology, program and form.

"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and so stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36; I Peter 4:7.) For what if you should miss that prophet? Or worse, what if you should find him and reject him because his teaching is contrary to what you have been taught as truth, like the Pharisees rejected John the Baptist? (Matthew 17:12-13; 21-23-25). What if he has already come and gone?

Jesus said, the generation that witnessed the restoration of Israel would not pass away until "the sign of His second Coming, and of the end of the age," are fulfilled, so "Look up for the first resurrection draweth nigh" (Matthew 24; Luke 21.)