If He's the Man Who Are You?
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1 0 0 2 y l u J Restoring the hearts of the fathers to the children Don’t Know the Truth? Why Not Make It Up? But the monsters of the deep and the birds of prey are a similitude of covetous men and transgressors. For as the fish and the fowls are of one nature,–some indeed abide in their natural state, and do no harm to those weaker than themselves, but keep the law of God, and eat of the seeds of the earth; others of them, again, transgress the law of God, and eat flesh, and injure those weaker than themselves: thus, too, the righteous, keeping the law of God, bite and injure none, but live holily and righteously. But robbers, and murderers, and godless persons are like monsters of the deep, and wild beasts, and birds of prey; for they virtually devour those weaker than themselves. The race, then, of fishes and of creeping things, though partaking of God's blessing, received no very distinguish- ing property. And on the sixth day, God having made the quadrupeds, and wild beasts, and the land reptiles, pronounced no blessing upon them, reserving His blessing for man, whom He was about to create on the sixth day. The quadrupeds, too, and wild beasts, were made for a type of some men, who neither know nor worship God, but mind earthly things, and repent not. For those who turn from their iniquities and live righteously, in spirit fly upwards like birds, and mind the things that are above, and are wellpleasing to the will of God. But those who do not know nor worship God, are like birds which have wings, but cannot fly nor soar to the high 3 r things of God. Thus, too, though such persons are called men, yet being e b pressed down with sins, they mindqhri/a grovelling and earthly things. And the m animals are named wild beasts [ ], from their being hunted u qhreu/esqai [ ] N , not as if they had been made evil or venomous from the , 2 first–for nothing was made evil by God, but all things good, yea, very 1 e good,–but the sin in which man was concerned brought evil upon them. m For when man transgressed, they also transgressed with him. For as, if u l o Continued on back cover V Continued from front cover the master of the house himself acts rightly, the domestics also of neces- sity conduct themselves well; but if the master sins, the servants also sin with him; so in like manner it came to pass, that in the case of man's sin, he being master, all that was subject to him sinned with him. When, therefore, man again shall have made his way back to his natural condition, and no longer does evil, those also shall be restored to their original gentleness. But as to what relates to the creation of man, his own creation can- not be explained by man, though it is a succinct account of it which holy Scripture gives. For when God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness,” He first intimates the dignity of man. For God having made all things by His Word, and having reckoned them all mere bye-works, reckons the creation of man to be the only work worthy of His own hands. Moreover, God is found, as if needing help, to say, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.” But to no one else than to His own Word and wisdom did He say, “Let Us make.” And when He had made and blessed him, that he might increase and replenish the earth, He put all things under his dominion, and at his service; and He appointed from the first that he should find nutriment from the fruits of the earth, and from seeds, and herbs, and acorns, having at the same time appointed that the animals be of habits similar to man’s, that they also might eat of all the seeds of the earth. Theophilus, “To Autolycus,” Book ii, Chaps. xvi—xviii, in Roberts and Donaldson (Eds.), The Ante-Nicene Fathers (1885), Vol. 2, pp. 101—102. The Voice of Elijah IsIs ItIt TimeTime ToTo Renew?Renew? P.O. Box 2257 Check the mailing label below. If it says, “TIME TO RENEW,” your subscription NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE Rockwall, TX 75087-2257 expires with this issue. Don’t miss a single issue! Use the order form in this issue PAID (972) 635-2021 to renew your subscription now. MESQUITE, TX PERMIT NO. 0038 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED www.voiceofelijah.org A Note From the Editor Published quarterly by Voice of Elijah, Inc. In the April 2001 issue of The Voice of Elijah®, I explained the meaning of the phrase “restoring the hearts of the fathers to the chil- Allen Friess, Executive Editor dren” (Mal. 4:6) because this brief statement succinctly defines what our Marcia Woody, Managing Editor ministry is about. I told you that the “heart” was the mind in the ancient way of thinking, and that “the fathers” referred to in Malachi 4:6 are the Volume 12 ancient fathers of Israel, that is, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, and oth- Number 3 ers—those who understood The Teaching in their day. I also explained July 2001 that “the children” refers to True Believers in Israel (that is, True Believers in Jesus Christ) who adopt the mind-set of their spiritual “fathers” and once again believe The Teaching which is restored in the All correspondence Last Days. And finally, I explained that God plans to restore The should be addressed to: Teaching in the Last Days through an individual parabolically referred to as “Elijah.” Here is how the Prophet Malachi put it: Voice of Elijah, Inc. P.O. Box 2257 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant Rockwall, TX 75087-2257 and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear My name the sun of righteousness will rise with Subscription rates: healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the (1 year, U.S. Funds) stall. And you will tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the U.S. $24.00 soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the LORD of hosts. Canada $30.00 “Remember the law of Moses My servant, {even the} statutes and ordinances Abroad $50.00 which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to {their} children, and the Articles published by permission of hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a Larry Dee Harper curse.” (dba The Elijah Project). (Malachi 4:1–6) Except when otherwise noted, The fact that God says He is going to send “Elijah” to Israel just Scripture taken from the prior to the Day of the Lord tells us that the ministry of “Elijah” is some- New American Standard Bible, how related to the Second Coming. (See “Questions & Answers” in this © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, issue for more information concerning the Day of the Lord.) This tells us 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1987, 1988. that John the Baptist, to whom Jesus referred on several occasions as The Lockman Foundation. “Elijah” (Matt. 11:14; 17:10–13), was not the “Elijah” Malachi predicted Used by permission. would come. Since John was sent to herald the First Advent of Christ and not the Second, he could not possibly be the “Elijah” of whom Malachi Bolded Scripture reflects spoke. John himself knew he wasn’t, which is why he denied being the emphasis of the author. “Elijah” when asked if he was (John 1:21). If you are confused by the fact that Jesus referred to John the Baptist Copyright © 2001, 2018 as “Elijah” on several occasions, yet John himself denied being “Elijah,” by Voice of Elijah, Inc. you needn’t be. This issue was addressed four years ago in “Questions & ® voiceofelijah.org Answers,” The Voice of Elijah , July 1997. (See Order Form.) For now, it is facebook.com/voiceofelijahinc Continued on page 29 A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR 29 Continued from inside front cover So how will True Believers be able to recognize the one who is parabolically called “Elijah” when he enough to know this: Jesus knew that John the comes? As you might expect, they will recognize Baptist was not the “Elijah” of Malachi’s prophecy. him by his teaching. But that will only be possible if But He also knew the parabolic imagery related to they are honestly seeking the Truth. That’s because Elijah the Prophet aptly describes what the ministry the Truth, that is, The Teaching, will attest to who he of John the Baptist was like just as it aptly describes is by the fact that what he teaches makes perfect what the ministry of “Elijah” will be like in the Last sense when examined in light of the Scriptures. You Days. see, The Teaching convinces True Believers they John the Baptist was called by God to herald have heard the Truth. It also validates who is (or is the First Advent of Christ, just as the “Elijah” of not) a legitimate Teacher of God (John 7:16–18).