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Matthew 17:11: Difference between revisions
→Why did John deny that he was Elijah?
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:''Watch what He said, "Elias truly must first come." Past, present--in the future tense, but then He give John as an example. John wasn't Malachi 4. John was Malachi 3...<ref>JEZEBEL.RELIGION_ MIDDLETOWN.OH V-6 N-14 SUNDAY_ 61-0319</ref> | :''Watch what He said, "Elias truly must first come." Past, present--in the future tense, but then He give John as an example. John wasn't Malachi 4. John was Malachi 3...<ref>JEZEBEL.RELIGION_ MIDDLETOWN.OH V-6 N-14 SUNDAY_ 61-0319</ref> | ||
= | =Relevant Biblical Passages= | ||
The book of Matthew was originally written in Koine Greek. Here are several translations into English: | The book of Matthew was originally written in Koine Greek. Here are several translations into English of Matthew 17:11–13: | ||
'''KJV''' | '''KJV''' | ||
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:''He answered, “Elijah does indeed come first and will restore all things. And I tell you that Elijah has already come. Yet they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. In the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.<ref>Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible, Mt 17:11–13 (Biblical Studies Press, 2006).</ref> | :''He answered, “Elijah does indeed come first and will restore all things. And I tell you that Elijah has already come. Yet they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. In the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.<ref>Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible, Mt 17:11–13 (Biblical Studies Press, 2006).</ref> | ||
We also must consider Mark 9:12-13: | |||
'''KJV''' | |||
:''And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought. But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.<ref>The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Mk 9:12–13.</ref> | |||
'''ESV''' | |||
:''And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.” <ref>The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mk 9:12–13.</ref> | |||
'''NET''' | |||
:''He said to them, “Elijah does indeed come first, and restores all things. And why is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be despised? But I tell you that Elijah has certainly come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it is written about him.”<ref>Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005), Mk 9:12–13.</ref> | |||
=Does William Branham have the proper interpretation?= | =Does William Branham have the proper interpretation?= | ||
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It is true that before John’s birth, an angel prophesied to his father, Zechariah, that John would “go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17). John the Baptist denied being “Elijah” to counter the expectation (that was held by the Pharisees in his day) that the same Elijah who escaped death in a fiery chariot would return in like spectacular manner.<ref>Andreas J. Köstenberger, John, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2004), 60.</ref> | It is true that before John’s birth, an angel prophesied to his father, Zechariah, that John would “go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17). John the Baptist denied being “Elijah” to counter the expectation (that was held by the Pharisees in his day) that the same Elijah who escaped death in a fiery chariot would return in like spectacular manner.<ref>Andreas J. Köstenberger, John, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2004), 60.</ref> | ||
=What did John the Baptist restore?= | |||
Let’s first look at the Greek. The Greek phrase in Matthew 17:11 to “restore all things” is “αποκαταστησει παντα”. | |||
The meaning of αποκαταστησει is to “reestablish, restore; cure, make well; send or bring back”<ref>Barclay M. Newman Jr., A Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament. (Stuttgart, Germany: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft; United Bible Societies, 1993), 21.</ref>. As a result, we read the following alternate translations: | |||
John Wesley's Translation | |||
:''And Jesus answering said to them, Elijah truly doth come first, and will regulate all things. <ref> John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old and New Testament: Translation (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2012), Mt 17:11.</ref> | |||
Literal Translation from the Original Tongues | |||
:''And Jesus having answered, said to them, Elias truly comes first and will re-establish all things. <ref> Julia E. Smith, trans., The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues (Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company, 1876), Mt 17:11.</ref> | |||
God's Word Translation | |||
:''Jesus answered, “Elijah is coming and will put everything in order again. <ref> GOD’S WORD Translation (Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group, 1995), Mt 17:11.</ref> | |||
The restoration of “everything” (πάντα) refers not to the renewal of the present order itself (which would make Elijah the Messiah himself, rather than the forerunner of the Messiah) but to a preparatory work of repentance and renewal (see Luke 1:17).<ref>Donald A. Hagner, Matthew 14–28, vol. 33B, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1995), 499.</ref> | |||
The restoration that John the Baptist brought was the promised restoration we see throughout the prophets that God – a restoration that would bring the nation of Israel their Messiah. (Jer 15:19; 16:15; 24:6–7; 31:31–34; 50:19–20 [27:19–20 LXX]; Ezek 34–37; Hos 11:8–11; Amos 9:11–15).<ref> David Turner and Darrell L. Bock, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 11: Matthew and Mark (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2005), 476.</ref> | |||
And Jesus goes on to observe that Elijah’s mission, to restore the people of God, was met with opposition, and that this same opposition will lead to the death of the Son of man.<ref>W. D. Davies and Dale C. Allison Jr., A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, vol. 2, International Critical Commentary (London; New York: T&T Clark International, 2004), 715.</ref> | |||
It is clear that Mark understands John the Baptist to have accomplished his mission successfully, since everyone in Judaea and Jerusalem went to him, confessing their sins and being baptized; the task of the promised Elijah was thus completed, and everything put in order.<ref>Morna D. Hooker, The Gospel according to Saint Mark, Black’s New Testament Commentary (London: Continuum, 1991), 220.</ref> | |||
The scribes had done their job well in concluding “Elijah must come first.” Their insistence on this point, however, was determined to a large extent by their presupposition about how the prophecy's fulfillment had to occur, and it was probably motivated by their unwillingness to accept Jesus or his message. | |||
As they saw nothing in John’s fate in Herod’s prison that corresponded with their expectations of Elijah, so also they saw nothing in Jesus’ claims or in his humility that corresponded with their conception of the Messiah. And when he was crucified, that served only to confirm that he could not have been the Messiah. | |||
Thus their rigid, preconceived notions tragically caused them to be blind to the very heart of God’s mission in his Messiah. What was required of them was to revise their preconceptions and to understand, with Paul among other Jews, that “Christ crucified” (1 Cor 1:23), rather than being a self-contained and intolerable contradiction, is the glorious high point of God’s promises to Israel—and through Israel to the nations of the world.<ref>Donald A. Hagner, Matthew 14–28, vol. 33B, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1995), 500.</ref> | |||
Followers of the message have similar pre-conceptions to the Pharisees. They see the truth only unfolding in one way and thus miss what God is doing in the world today. | |||
=Do message followers think William Branham restored all things?= | |||
While message ministers used to say that William Branham "restored all things", they generally have tempered this statement significantly. They now say things such as: | |||
:''Bro. Branham brought a restorative message to our generation by pulling the loose ends together...<ref>podtail.com/en/podcast/the-message-of-the-hour-bro-william-branham/</ref> | |||
The above is a direct reference to repeated statements that William Branham made about himself: | |||
:''But, God comes in the Power of His resurrection! And who is going to speak against It? If Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, He does the same that He did yesterday, today, and forever. That’s what this angel is supposed to do, take them mysteries, '''them loose ends that people run out on.''' | |||
:''Now watch. There is a lot of Truth lost out there, (why?) where others compromised on Truth. But this seventh angel don’t compromise on nothing. '''He gathers up all the loose ends''', gathers them all up. And at his sounding, “All the mystery of God should be finished.” Oh! God, send him. All of the hidden mysteries was finished when, he, It was revealed to him. By what? If these are hidden mysteries, the man will have to be a prophet. And didn’t we just get through and see that the prophet, that would come in the last age, would be that great Elijah that we been looking for? Because, these mysteries that’s hid, through the theologians, will have to be revealed; to God. And the Word comes only to the prophet. [“Amen.”] And we know it. He will be the second Elijah, as promised. Oh, my! The Message he—he’ll bring will be the mysteries, all, all these things. | |||
:''Now is It plain? When the First Seal was opened, the Seals that was inside the Book, these mysteries that was sounded forth: justification, sanctification, Roman Catholic church, Protestants! And when all their little battles and things left '''these loose ends in the Word of God''', the seventh angel comes on and gathers them all up and explains them. See? And then, he finishes, Seven Thunders utter out. | |||
:''These stars falling into their constellation back yonder! That Angel coming, and said, “As John was sent to wind up the Old Testament and to bring forth the introduction of Christ, '''a Message will wind up the loose ends and will introduce the Messiah''' just before His Coming, the Message of the last days.”<ref>William Branham, 62-1230E - Is This The Sign Of The End, Sir?, para. 268, 289, 353, 363</ref> | |||
:''And at the end of the Pentecostal age, we are supposed to receive, according to the Word, as God help me tonight to show you, through here, that we are to see, receive '''a messenger that will take all those loose ends out there and reveal the whole secret of God''', for the rapturing of the Church.<ref>William Branham, 63-0318 - The First Seal, para. 74</ref> | |||
But did William Branham restore anything? | |||
We believe the evidence shows that he did not. What he brought was such confusion that his followers constitute a bizarre legacy of multiple fractured sub-cults that all think they have the truth. | |||