What is the meaning of "sending Elijah" in Malachi?

Question

In the Book of the Prophet Malachi from the Old Testament:
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord."
Do you think this is a reference to the historical, Biblical Elijah, coming to earth again, or is it a reference to a man who is a prophet similar to Elijah, of the same type as Elijah?

Answer 1

Return in sacred texts has the same connotation as flowers and leaves returning in the spring after a winter. Your second explanation is the correct one: a reference to a man who is a prophet similar to Elijah, of the same type as Elijah? I would add "plays the same role as."

Answer 2

God will send the Same Holy Ghost annointing upon 3 people. Not the literal Elijah but the same kind of annointing ministry, One came when John The Baptise came, But if you read the NT, you only see John Bringing the hearts of the Fathers( Apostolic Fathers) to the children But yet in Malachi you also see another Elijah annointing spirit coming, & that men name was William Branham Look it up your self at www.williambranham.com, His ministry was to change the heart of the Children back unto the Apostolic Fathers, Now God will one more time send that same annoiting on a Jewish Prophet, One of them will be one wing of the eagle that has 2 wings, Because the other wing will be that of Moses, Now these are not the actual Elijah, But only the same annointing God will & have & will again soon send that Elijah annointing.& the Moses annointing. Now everyone can thumbs me down, Becaue I know this is way over some people's head.

Answer 3

John the Baptist,the forerunner of Jesus the Christ/Messiah is named elijah by Jesus

Elijah or an Elijah-like prophet could give appearance and come to herald the Last Call to repentance before the Second Coming or it could be a poetic way of talking about the stong prophetic witness of the Church and Judaism's Prophets in the "closing time"

If Jesus at the Transfiguration converses with "dead' saints like Moses,is it not proper for us to do the same and ask them to pray with us to Christ,true God and true Man?

Answer 4

Malachi 4:5, where 'God' stated: “Look! I am sending to you people Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah.” That prophecy had a first fulfillment in the work of John the Baptizer, who was foreshadowed by Elijah. John did an Elijahlike work when he baptized Jews who had repented of their sins against the Law covenant. More important, John was the Messiah’s forerunner. However, John’s work was only an initial fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy. Jesus, while identifying John as a second Elijah, indicated that there would be a future “Elijah” work.—Matthew 17:11, 12.
Malachi’s prophecy showed that this great Elijah work would be done before “the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah.” That day concludes with the rapidly approaching war of the great day of God the Almighty, at Armageddon. This means that the end of this wicked system of things and the beginning of the Millennial Reign of God’s heavenly Kingdom under the enthroned Jesus Christ would be preceded by a work corresponding to the activity of Elijah. True to that prophecy, before Jehovah destroys this wicked system, the modern-day Elijah class, supported by millions of fellow Christians with an earthly hope, enthusiastically carry on the work of restoring pure worship, exalting the name of Jehovah, and teaching Bible truths to sheeplike ones

Answer 5

I believe it refers to when the 2 prophets....Moses & Elijah come back and preach during the tribulation.

If you hold to a pre-trib rapture like I do.....then this is usually the belief.

Remember, the prophet Elijah had already come & gone before the book of Malachi was written.

Answer 6

Well John the Baptist came in the power of Elijah. On the mount of transfiguration Elijah was there with Jesus. That is in Matthew 17. Plus during the tribulation Elijah will be there.

Answer 7

The name Yliyah or (Elijah) means strength. The Strength of Yahweh is his 613 Laws.

This verse is speaking of Yahweh reestablishing his 613 Laws in the last days to turn a remnant to him to prepare the way for the Kingdom to come just like before the Savior Yahshua came.

So what this verse is saying is that before the coming of Yahweh he will send Yliyah (the law and the prophecies) to call out a group of people who will build his last days house.

Mat 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

Mat 11:14 And if ye will receive [it], this is Elias, which was for to come.

http://www.yahweh.com/whatisHOY/WhatIsHouse.htm

Answer 8

They are a type ...Elijah was a restorer and Moses was a deliverer
God is going to restore as it says in Joel 2 and bring deliverance to his people in the last days.

It ties in with the two armies in Song of Solomon. Also, in the book of Revelation has two groups of 144 thousand. In the book of zech. 4 it mentions again the two anointed one...speaking of 2 groups of people.

A mighty revival is on its way in this last day...a great harvest of souls....the last one before the end.

Answer 9

Hey... this is a dud! The Gospel writers try to use it in the "transfiguration" bit when Jesus was consulting with the dead (Elijah and Moses) about his impending trip to Jerusalem!

BTW, consulting with the dead carried the death by stoning sentence in Biblical Israel, but who cares... Jesus is not under the Law! he changed it so many times already...

Answer 10

Elijah was the prophet that had alot of control over the weather. Hmmmm...in ter rest tingah!


Elijah by the way...just so you know...never saw death.

2 Kings 2:8-12
8And 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.

9And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

10And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.

11And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

12And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.