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Home , Baal, Elijah, Elisha, John the Baptist, Malachi 3, Prophet

and the Baptist: The Work of a Forerunner

Introduction . However, to fully understand the work of a forerunner, it is imperative to understand the mission of an Christ, creator of the earth and the great Jehovah, was named Elijah. foreordained to come in “the meridian of time, in the flesh” (D&C 20:26; see also 39:3; 5:57, 62; 7:46). Of necessity, like The Ministry of Elijah any great king, there needed to be a forerunner: one who would In the modern , Elijah is mostly associated with the very prepare a people for the coming of their King. This reading important work for the dead. This is certainly appropriate. But it assignment is about the role of a forerunner. does not seem to be a complete view of the work of Elijah. The There are three Old Testament important to both reasons being that Elijah did not do any work for the dead. He this and a assignment . As you read these keep in mind lived about 850 years prior to the time of Christ, who initiated that often Old Testament is subject to multiple work for the dead upon his visit to the spirit world after he died on fulfillment. That is, a prophecy can be fulfilled several times in the cross (see D&C 138). several different situations in several different time periods. In This begs the question, why do we associate his name with the case of this assignment, it means that a prophecy about a work for the dead? Even more relevant to this assignment, what forerunner to the coming of Christ will be fulfilled more than does Elijah have to do with the concept of forerunner? once. The fact is, the work of Elijah and the work of Christ’s I. prophecies of a forerunner before the coming of forerunners are interrelated works. To understand this, we must Christ. understand the ministry of Elijah. Isaiah prophesied that a forerunner would be sent to prepare Ellijah lived in the Kingdom of , a hundred years after the a people for the coming of Jesus Christ. Christ would come division of the united kingdom of Israel upon the . when is suffering the consequences of great iniquity. Unlike the Kingdom of in the south who had several But His coming would bring comfort from being pardoned. In righteous or semi-righteous kings, Israel never had king from its advance to His coming, a forerunner would come: origins in 953 B.C. until it was defeated and scattered by the Assyrians about 720 B.C. *Read :1-3 The first king of Israel, Jerobaom (953 -927 B.C.) established II. prophecies of a messenger who will come before the government with an imitated form of Jehovah worship as the the comes. state (see 1 Kings 12:25-33). But with Canaanites still The Old Testament ends with a small book called Malachi, a living in the land, worship (a fertility cult worship with Baal prophet that lived in Jerusalem sometime between 515 B.C. and as a ) was present throughout the land. Baal worship 458 B.C. He was one of the last whom the sent was a particularly appealing for , as shown throughout before they suffered a four hundred year period of general Israel’s history (see Judges 2:1-13; 3:7; 6:24-32; 8:33; 10:6-10; spiritual decline. 1 . 7:1-8; 1 Ki. 16:31). In his writings there are significant prophecies regarding the Elijah’s ministry came at a time when Baal worship became the coming of Christ that would find partial fulfillment in Christ’s first state religion. Further, Jehovah worship was openly persecuted. coming. But the prophecies would be ultimately fulfilled in This began when (875-853 B.C.) was king of Israel. His Christ’s . wife, Queen , a daughter of a Phoenician king (another The importance of these writings can be seen in the fact that name for Canaanite), was a zealous persecutor, with an aim at the Savior had these Malachi chapters 3-4 included in the those who were “true Jehovah worshipers.” This needs a bit of Nephite records (see 3 Ne. 24-25). explanation. The opening verse of the foretells the necessity of There appears in the history of the House of Israel recorded in a messenger to come before to prepare the way before the 1, 2 and 1,2 Kings, a community of Jehovah worshipers Lord: whose history is not told. They are mentioned as if the reader is already familiar with them. Gleaning from every reference to *Read Malachi 3:1 them we learn that they are called the “company of prophets” (1 Sam. 10:5, 10; 19:20) or the “sons of prophets” (1 Ki. 20:35; 2 Ki. Having read this, it will be interesting to note that the Hebrew 2:3, 5, 7, 15; 4:1, 38; 5:22; 6:1; 2:11; 7:14). “Sons of” does name Malachi literally means, “my messenger.” not refer to “descendants of.” Rather, these were Israelites who III. The third prophecy not only ends Malachi’s prophecies had a true and legitimate form of Jehovah worship who lived in but is the last statement in our communities in family relationships. They had a leader who was “appointed over them” (1 Sam. 19:10). Malachi’s prophecies end with these imperative verses: The first mention of them is in 1 Sam. 10:5-12. At that time, *Read Mal. 4:5-6 Samuel, the High and Chief Judge of the Twelve Tribes, was also the leader of this group. Years later we see Elijah as The prophecies of Isaiah 40:3, Malachi 3:1 and 4:4-6 will find their leader. fulfillment in the work and ministry of who’s Judging from a few references it appears to me that they have mission was to prepare the way for the coming of the mortal the fulness of the everlasting . This is based on the fact that when and later spend time with them, they

1 receive a “another heart” and “turn into another man” (1 Sam. It would be past on to who continued to labor to turn the 10:5-10). This has reference to being spiritually born again hearts of Israel back to God. An important event then is which comes through the Priesthood ordinance of described. Elijah was to be translated: for the Gift of the Holy (:3-5; *Read 2 Ki. 2:1-15 Moses 6:64-65). Elijah, as we know, had the fulness of the Melchizedek Priesthood (D&C 2:1-3; 110:15). President Why was Elijah translated? Fielding Smith (1877-1972) taught: *Read “Elijah” in the LDS Bible Dictionary 2013 edition. To prepare the way for the coming of Elijah and the of the sealing power, because of which men What did you find out? may receive the fullness of the , John the Baptist came in May of 1829 and conferred upon Joseph and Oliver the Aaronic Priesthood. A short time later Peter, The Ministry of John the Baptist James, and John came and gave them the Melchizedek Priesthood. (Conference Report, Apr. 1970, p. 58) *Reread Isaiah 40:3, Malachi 3:1, and 4:5-6. The Prophet (1805-44) said of this: We now move to the “meridian of time” when Jesus Christ comes to the earth to perform the remarkable atonement for The spirit, power, and calling of Elijah is, that ye have mankind. To prepare the way for the King of the earth to come, power to hold the key of the , ordinances, , a forerunner was called. That forerunner was named John the powers and endowments of the fullness of the Melchizedek Baptist. He was to son of a priest who worked in the temple built Priesthood and of the kingdom of God on the earth; and to by . The following is the story of the receive, obtain, and perform all the ordinances belonging to to Zacharias that he and his wife, Elisabeth, who the kingdom of God, even unto the turning of the hearts of was barren, would have a child, and that that child would be the the fathers unto the children, and the hearts of the children messenger to prepare the way for Jesus Christ. unto the fathers, even those who are in . (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], p.311) *Read :5-25. Note that the name Elias is the Greek way In other words, Elijah held the Melchizedek Priesthood at a of saying Elijah. time when the law of Moses was the general law to be lived by In reading these verses, what did tell Zacharias that the House of Israel. John’s mission was to be? Jezebel went on an all out war against these various communities of Jehovah worshipers (1 Ki. 18:4). She felt they *Read :1–3. were a threat to the monarchy and their policies. The What prophecies does Mark quote that John fulfilled? slaughtered was so great that Elijah thought he was the only one left (1 Ki. 19:10). But there were some who worshiped *Read :7-8 and :4 Jehovah but only privately. One was , the governor of What did Elijah look and dress like? What did John look and the house of Ahab who actually “an hundred prophets” and hid dress like? What would the have thought when they lsaw them in a cave and fed them through the three and a half year John at the beginning of his ministry? famine that came upon the land by Elijah’s sealing power (1 Ki. 18:3-4). *Read :1-18; Matthew 3:1-12; :19-42. When Jezebel went on her cleansing rampage, Elijah came Detail the ministry of John. What did he do? What did he out in the open and confronted Ahab. teach? How did John prepare the way for the coming of Jesus * Read :1, then 18:1-2, 17-35. Christ? At this point in the story, Elijah offers a informs us of *Read :19-28. the work of Elijah, what his mission was about: What did Jesus Christ say regarding the John the baptist? *Read :36-37. The following is not required reading. It is a very helpful Notice that Elijah begins his prayer referring to the “LORD God quote from Elder James E. Talmage (1862-1933) of the Quorum of , , and .” These are the fathers to whom of the Twelve who wrote a book called Jesus the Christ, were given the great promises (see Abr. 2:6-11). Elijah’s mission a truly marvelous book. This is from the chapter dealing with the was to turn Israel’s heart back to the God of Abraham, Isaac, above reference about John’s sending two messenger’s to and Jacob from whom they had strayed. Jesus. This gives great insight into why John may have done this: *Read 1 Kings 18:38-39. Even before Jesus had returned to after His Elijah spent the rest of his mortal ministry trying to turn the and the forty days of solitude in the wilderness, John the wayward of Israel back to God. If Israel repented and turn Baptist had been imprisoned by order of , wholly to their God, the nation of Israel could still be a blessing tetrarch of Galilee and . During the subsequent months to the nations of the world. They could become the “salt of the of our Lord's activities, in preaching the gospel, teaching the earth” (Matt. 5:13). But, the Kingdom of Israel failed to turn back true significance of the kingdom, reproving , healing the to the God of their fathers. afflicted, rebuking evil spirits and even raising the dead to life, However, Elijah’s work with individual people was somewhat His forerunner, the Godfearing, valiant John, had lain a successful. The “sons of the prophets” recovered to the point prisoner in the dungeons of , one of the strongest that were found in at least three different communities (2 Ki. 2 of Herod's citadels. ... Finally, the Elijah’s time was at hand to end his mortal work. In the course of his long imprisonment John had heard

2 much of the marvelous preaching and works of Christ; these no reed, shaken by the , but a firm and unbending oak. things must have been reported to him by some of his They had not gone to see a man in fashionable attire; those disciples and friends who were allowed to visit him. who wore soft raiment were to be looked for in the court of the Particularly was he informed of the miraculous raising of the king, not in the wilderness, nor in the dungeon where John young man at Nain; and forthwith he commissioned two of his now lay. They had found in John a prophet indeed, yea, more disciples to bear a message of inquiry to Jesus. These came than a prophet; "For," affirmed the Lord, "I say unto you, to Christ and reported the purpose of their visit thus: "John Among those that are born of women there is not a greater Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the come? or look we for another?" The messengers found Jesus kingdom of God is greater than he." What stronger testimony engaged in beneficent ministrations; and, instead of giving an of the Baptist's integrity is needed? Other prophets had told of immediate reply in words, He continued His labor, relieving in the Messiah's coming, but John had seen Him, had baptized that same hour many who were afflicted by blindness or Him, and had been to Jesus as a body servant to his master. infirmities, or who were troubled by evil spirits. Then, turning Nevertheless from the day of John's preaching to the time at to the two who had communicated the Baptist's question, which Christ then spoke, the kingdom of heaven had been Jesus said: "Go your way, and tell John what things ye have rejected with violence, and this even though all the prophets seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the and even the fundamental law had told of its coming, and lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the though both John and Christ had been abundantly predicted. poor the gospel is preached. And blessed is he, whosoever Concerning John, the Lord continued: "And if ye will receive shall not be offended in me." ... it, this is Elias, which was for to come. He that hath ears to The concluding sentence of our Lord's answer to John was hear, let him hear." It is important to know that the designation, the climax of what had preceded, and a further though yet Elias, here applied by Jesus to the Baptist, is a rather than gentle rebuke of the Baptist's defective comprehension of the a personal name, and that it has no reference to Elijah, the Messiah's mission. "Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be ancient prophet called the . (Jesus the Christ [1973], pp. offended in me," said the Lord. Misunderstanding is the 252- 256) prelude to offense. Gaged by the standard of the then current conception of what the Messiah would be, the work of Christ must have appeared to many as failure; and those who were looking for some sudden manifestation of His power in the conquest of Israel's oppressors and the rehabilitation of the house of David in worldly splendor, grew impatient, then doubtful; afterward they took offense and were in danger of turning in open rebellion against their Lord. Christ has been an offender to many because they, being out of harmony with His words and works, have of themselves taken offense. John's situation must be righteously considered by all who assume to render judgment as to his purpose in sending to inquire of Christ, "Art thou he that should come?" John thoroughly understood that his own work was that of preparation; he had so testified and had openly borne witness that Jesus was the One for whom he had been sent to prepare. With the inauguration of Christ's ministry, John's influence had waned, and for many months he had been shut up in a cell, chafing under his enforced inactivity, doubtless yearning for the freedom of the open, and for the and wild of the desert. Jesus was increasing while he decreased in popularity, influence, and opportunity; and he had affirmed that such condition was inevitable. ... Indeed, we have good grounds for inference that John's purpose in sending disciples to inquire of Christ was partly, and perhaps largely, designed to confirm in those disciples an abiding faith in the Christ. The commission with which they were charged brought them into direct communication with the Lord, whose supremacy they could not well fail to comprehend. They were personal witnesses of His power and authority. Our Lord's commentary on John's message indicated that the Baptist had no full understanding of what the spiritual kingdom of God comprised. After the envoys had departed, Jesus addressed Himself to the people who had witnessed the interview. He would not have them underrate the importance of the Baptist's service. He reminded them of the time of John's popularity, when some of those then present, and multitudes of others, had gone into the wilderness to hear the prophet's stern admonition; and they had found him to be

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