Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? Asked His disciples. YAHSHUA then answered them saying, But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not know or recognize him, but did to him as they liked. So, also the Son of Man is going to be treated and suffer at their hands (Matt.17:12). YAHSHUA answering the question, confined to the disciples that He, like John, will be rejected and be killed by those who killed John. That was a solemn moment for the disciples to ponder about the words of YAHSHUA, as they had just experienced the most supernatural event, when YAHSHUA underwent a change in their presence at the Mount of Transfiguration; His face shone clear and bright like the sun, and His clothing became as white as light; and there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with Him, and then, they were overshadowed by a shinning cloud and God’s voice sounded warning them saying, This is My Son, in Whom I am delighted; listen to Him (Matt. 17: 2-3,5). The subject of the conversation between them was of great importance, for those were YAHSHUA’S last forty days on earth before His death. The Gospel of Luke is the only one that mentions the subject of the conversation (Luke 9:30). Moses, representing the Law and Elijah, the prophets, constituted time frames when all that which had been prophesized about YAHSHUA was going to be fulfilled through Him. YAHSHUA, through His death, was going to fulfill the Law in its entirety. Moses and Elijah came to Him with the purpose to be witnesses and to confirm the coming event. As a matter of fact, A.E Ware, the author of the book, The Restored Vision, suggested that the two men seen at the tomb of YAHSHUA at His resurrection, were Moses and Elijah.
Elijah became the subject of the conversation, when they were coming down from the mount. Based on what had been prophesized by Malachiah 4:5-6: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. And he shall turn and reconcile the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse and a ban of utter destruction. The disciples’ question was, Why must Elijah come first? That is, before the end of all things or the great tribulation. “But I tell you that Elijah has already come.” Was the answer presented to them by YAHSHUA. How so? In the spirit and power of Elijah. He was not Elijah in his physical body, for that, Elijah will come in person to fulfill the prophecy of Malachi 4:5. John went into all the country round about the Jordan preaching a baptism of repentance unto the forgiveness of sin, as it was written in the book of Isaiah the prophet (Luke 2). This same John’s garments were made of camel’s hair, and he wore a leather girdle about his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey (Matt. 3:4). His message to the nation of Israel was hard and direct without compromises. To the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he called them, You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee and escape from the wrath and indignation that is coming? Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance and do not presume to say to yourselves, We have Abraham for our forefather; for I tell you, God is able to raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones; and already the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire (Matt.3:7-10). So, with many other appeals and admonitions he preached the good news to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, who had been told about his fault and reproved with rebuke producing conviction by [John] for [having] Herodias, his brother’s wife and for all the wicked things that Herod had done, added this to them all- that he shut up John in prison (Luke 2:18-20).
Light from the Word 