Chapter 3
The Elijah Message
What is the Elijah message? The Messiah said that "Eliyah truly shall first come and restore all things." Mt. 17:11. Restore what things? Those things that have been forgotten! The prophet Malachi gives us some insights: "Behold, I will send you Eliyah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of YAHUWAH." Malachi 4:5. As YAHUWAH's mouth piece, what shall he come saying? "Remember ye the law of Mosheh My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and the judgments." Malachi 4:4
"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of YAHUWAH; and he shall send YAHUSHUA the Messiah, which before was preached unto you: whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which Elohim hath spoken by the mouth of all His set-apart prophets since the world began." Acts 3:19-21
Not only does this include the seventh day Sabbath, but also the appointed festivals. Marriage is a heavenly institution; the land sabbaths, yea, all the statutes. Animal offerings are not listed in the statutes given from Mt. Sinai. The statutes are listed in Exodus 21-23 and repeated in Deuteronomy chapters 12 through 26.
Another thing that Eliyah is said to accomplish, is that he would "turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." Malachi 4:6
Not only does this apply to family relationships, but it also applies to our spiritual forefathers, like the reformers, who were bringing us step by step out of Babylon. How many hearts despise early American reformers who were real pioneers in the Scriptures (this is not the work of Eliyah). On the other hand, many have been turned off because those who pretend to uphold the reformers and pioneers, refuse to walk in advancing truth, using the reformers and pioneers as an excuse for not walking in further light. Evidently they have become comfortable with playing the game of church, nor can they appreciate the work the reformers and pioneers accomplished. If it were not for them, we would not be enjoying the blessings of the Sabbath truth and other truths, along with great reference works like Strong's Concordance. We would have found ourselves as those in the Dark Ages without truth. Since that state of affairs, truth has been progressive.
"They that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." Isaiah 58:12. We should understand more than the reformers and pioneers, because we should be building on the truths that we received from them as a blessed inheritance, instead of trying to abolish their works and trying to start over.
Not only does this apply to them, but to the Reformers who brought us out of the Dark Ages. They were witnesses to Catholicism's abusive nature and terrible abominations. YAHUWAH did not reveal all His truths to them, but gave them enough truth to call them out from her.
The hearts of the forefathers were toward us! "YAHUWAH having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." Hebrews 11:40. They did their best to preserve the truths they did have, so that we would not be deceived by that false system of Satan.
This principle goes back even further to Columba, Patrick, Paul, Peter, John, the other apostles as well; even back to "father Abraham", Shem, Noah, and yes Adam. Abraham observed the appointed times, even the Feast of Unleavened Bread, as Scripture bares out that YAHUWAH came and communed with Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3) at this appointed time, and "four hundred and thirty years (later), even to the selfsame day, it came to pass, that all the hosts of YAHUWAH went out of the land of Egypt." Exodus 12:41 (see also Galatians 3:17).
This is no surprise, of course, for Scripture states; "Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws." Gen. 26:5
What other message might Eliyah bring?
Remember how the children of Israel were tricked by their religious leaders into thinking Baal could send rain? Baal means "Lord" (see Hosea 2:16 margin). The religious leaders reasoned that they could have more influence with other nations around them if they mingled among them and used a common title they could all agree on. In this way, everyone could be in ecumenical harmony. The result, of course, was that the heathen converted them to their ways. But Eliyah believed that the Israelites needed to get back to calling the Creator by His name, the name that He had addressed Himself on Mt. Sinai, when He spoke the Ten Commandments. Thus, the idea came to him that there should be a confrontation on Mt. Carmel. The story is called "The Set-Apart Name Showdown." Where Elijahu (I Kings 17:1 margin KJV) confronted the Israelites with a question, "How long halt ye between two opinions? if YAHUWAH be Elohim, follow Him: but if the Baal, then follow him." And the people answered him not a word. I Kings 18:21. You know the story, when fire came down and consumed the wet sacrifice they acknowledged, "YAHUWAH, He is the Elohim; YAHUWAH, He is haElohim."
This story applies, with great force, to our time as well, when Sabbath keepers want to use man made terminology for the Creator, so that they can blend well with other Christians who observe Sunday (a man made holy day). How long will ye halt between two thoughts: if YAHUWAH be Elohim serve Him, but if the Lord, serve him. "Fear YAHUWAH, and give honour to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water." Revelation 14:7
The set-apart name is given for the purpose of distinguishing the Creator from other deities. The issue is TRUTH versus man made religion.
"Then they that feared YAHUWAH spake often one to another: and YAHUWAH hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared YAHUWAH, and that thought upon His name. And they shall be Mine saith YAHUWAH of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth Elohim and him that serveth Him not." Malachi 3:16-18