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Home , Malachi, Malachi 4

Sunday, January 3, 2020 THE SPIRIT AND POWER OF

Malachi 4:5-6

Next Sunday, we’ll share with you the theme and vision the Lord has given us for 2021, but today, Pastor Parkey wants to share with you the prophetic view that he has seen in the Spirit. It begins with the verse in .

This passage has been the source of some conversation among scholars. The passage speaks of the coming of Elijah the . Elijah had already lived and died many years before this . So, we must understand that this passage is speaking of a time to come. The context of the passage speaks of the time of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Elijah’s arrival will be before this day. There is little doubt that the day spoken of here is the day when the Lord returns to bring judgment upon the earth. The purpose of Elijah’s coming is to turn and bring restoration – both terms meaning repentance and reconciliation. Now, we know that equated the coming of to the appearance of Elijah:

Matthew 17:10-13

When John was asked if he was Elijah, he said he was not (John 1:21). The told John’s father, Zacharias that John would go before Jesus in the “spirit and power of Elijah” (:17). Many scholars believe that Malachi does not just speak of the appearance of John the Baptist but of another to come in the spirit of Elijah right before the last days. While this is interesting to study, I do believe that we are entering a period of time in which we will see the spirit and power of Elijah released upon the earth. Elijah was a powerful man of God. He could be weak at times and unfailingly human but he was a powerful witness to the reality of God in an otherwise predominately pagan environment.

During Elijah’s time, was straying far from God. They were a divided nation. They were serving gods that fed their own flesh and desire for riches. Their leader was a weak, fleshly, leader named Ahab. He was teamed with a partner whose heart was anti-God. No matter how God moved or what He did, Ahab’s partner, Jezebel remained resolute in her hatred of Elijah and Jehovah. You can see many parallels to this story happening right now. If current events remain unaltered, we are going to enter a time of Jezebel’s attack against the church. But, this is not a time to be sad and dejected as was Elijah. This is not a time to be in self-pity – hiding in a cave saying that God is not hearing His people.

The showdown of Mount Carmel is ahead of us! The power of God and the appearance of the chariots of fire is coming! God will not leave Ahab and Jezebel to destroy His people! The power and spirit of Elijah shall fall and God’s people will fulfill their destiny – preaching repentance and reconciliation and revealing the reality of Jesus until the great and dreadful day of the Lord!

Today’s Scriptures: • :5-6 • :10-13