Is Elijah coming back to this Earth.

[Chuks5552]

Sir, my question is according to the Prophecy given by Malachi in Malachi 4 vs 5 and 6

Malachi 4:5-6
[5]Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
[6]And he shall 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.

My question is this. Will Elijah come back in this last day before the day of Judgement. What does the verse really say.

I am asking because many bible scholars predicted that Elijah will literally come back to this earth to cause a revival, which is to turn the heart of the Fathers to their children and the heart of their children to their Fathers.

Are they correct? What is your response.

I read an article that The Jews have been waiting centuries for the return of Elijah and have prepared a special place for him.

What's your take on it sir.

 

[David]

My question is this. Will Elijah come back in this last day before the day of Judgement. What does the verse really say.

This is the way I see the Bible tells it. When you read Malachi 4:5–6, it sounds dramatic. “I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.” If you stop there, you might think Elijah himself has to step back onto the stage.

But God does not leave us guessing. When the angel announced John the Baptist’s birth, he said John would go “before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” ~ Luke 1:17. That is Malachi’s language showing up again. Same mission. Same assignment.

Then Jesus removes all doubt. In Matthew 11:14 He says, “This is Elias, which was for to come.” Later in Matthew 17:12–13, He says Elijah “is come already,” and the disciples understood He was speaking about John the Baptist.

Now that settles the prophecy. Scripture interprets Scripture. John was not Elijah reincarnated. He even said in John 1:21, “I am not.” But he came carrying Elijah’s mantle. Same boldness. Same call to repentance. Same confrontation of a rebellious generation.

Here is the danger. When we ignore how Jesus explained the prophecy, we start building theories. And theories can sound exciting. But excitement is not authority. The Word is authority.

If God wanted us to expect Elijah’s literal return before judgment, He would have said so clearly. Instead, He shows us fulfillment in John and centers the focus on Christ. So we do not chase speculation. Stand on revelation.

The point of Malachi was not to create mystery. It was to prepare hearts for the Lord. And that preparation came through John, pointing straight to Jesus.

 

[Yesua888]

This is the way I see the Bible tells it. When you read Malachi 4:5–6, it sounds dramatic. “I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.” If you stop there, you might think Elijah himself has to step back onto the stage ...

Hi David,

I am battling a bit with this so looked up the "Elijah" in Hebrew and Greek:

Hebrew: The name Elijah (אֵלִיָּהוּ, Eliyyahu) means "My God is Yahweh" or "My God is the Lord", derived from the Hebrew roots ʾel (God) and yah (Yahweh, the name of God).

Greek: In Greek, the name is spelled Ἠλίας (Heliás) and carries the same meaning: "My God is Yahweh". It is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Elijah and appears in the New Testament, particularly in references to the prophet Elijah.

Yahweh is the Hebrew name for God, derived from the Tetragrammaton (YHWH), the four consonants representing the personal name of God in the Hebrew Bible.

Is the word/name Elijah referring to God?

 

[David]

Is the word/name Elijah referring to God?

Good question, because this is where understanding biblical names helps clear up confusion.

The Hebrew name אֵלִיָּהוּ (Eliyyahu) breaks down like this:

• ʾel = God
• iy / i = my
• yah / yahu = Yahweh (the LORD)
  
  So the name literally means “My God is Yahweh.”

The name Elijah is not referring to God Himself. It’s a statement about God, not an identity with God.

As you stated, in Hebrew, Eliyyahu means “My God is Yahweh.” Hebrew names often preached a message. Parents didn’t just name children for sound. They named them as testimony. Elijah’s name was basically a walking sermon in a nation that had turned to Baal. Every time his name was spoken, the truth was declared: Yahweh alone is God.

Scripture makes it clear Elijah was a man, not God. James 5:17 says, “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are.” That removes any idea that Elijah was divine. He was a prophet used by God, not God appearing as a prophet.

So when Malachi 4:5 says, “I will send you Elijah the prophet,” the prophecy is not saying God Himself is coming under the name Elijah. It points to a ministry patterned after Elijah’s mission. Jesus explains this plainly. Speaking of John the Baptist, He said, “This is Elias, which was for to come” (Matthew 11:14). Luke 1:17 clarifies John came “in the spirit and power of Elias.” Same message. Same bold call to repentance. Different man.

Here’s the simple biblical picture: Elijah’s name points upward, not inward. It declares who God is, not who Elijah is.

And that fits the whole pattern of Scripture. God raises servants whose lives point people back to Him. The messenger is never the message. The prophet is never the Lord. The name Elijah itself reminds us of the truth Israel kept forgetting: the LORD alone is God.

 

[David]

Hi David,

I am battling a bit with this so looked up the "Elijah" in Hebrew and Greek:

Hebrew: The name Elijah (אֵלִיָּהוּ, Eliyyahu) means "My God is Yahweh" or "My God is the Lord", derived from the Hebrew roots ʾel (God) and yah (Yahweh, the name of God).

Greek: In Greek, the name is spelled Ἠλίας (Heliás) and carries the same meaning: "My God is Yahweh". It is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Elijah and appears in the New Testament, particularly in references to the prophet Elijah.

Yahweh is the Hebrew name for God, derived from the Tetragrammaton (YHWH), the four consonants representing the personal name of God in the Hebrew Bible.

Is the word/name Elijah referring to God?

The name Elijah does not mean that Elijah is God. The name points to God. It is a declaration about God, not an identification of the man as God.

The Hebrew name אֵלִיָּהוּ (Eliyahu) is made from two parts: “El” (אֵל) meaning God, and “Yah” (יָה) which is a shortened form of YHWH, the covenant name of the LORD.

Put together, the name literally means “My God is Yahweh.”

So the name itself is a confession of faith. It declares that the LORD alone is God.

That meaning fits perfectly with Elijah’s ministry. He lived in a time when Israel was turning to Baal. Elijah stood before the nation and called them back to the true God. On Mount Carmel he said, “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him” ~1 Kings 18:21.

After the LORD answered with fire from heaven, the people fell on their faces and said, “The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God” ~1 Kings 18:39.

That is exactly what Elijah’s name proclaims. So the name does refer to God, but not in the sense that Elijah himself is God. The name is a statement about God’s identity: Yahweh is the true God.

Many Hebrew names work this same way. They contain God’s name and testify to Him. Scripture uses names to declare truth about the LORD, not to make the person divine.