Who is The Prophet?

     “Are you the Prophet?”

    As we read through the gospels, there are several places where this question comes up. For instance, the Jewish leaders sent priests and Levites to John the Baptist, asking, basically, “Are you the Messiah, are you Elijah, are you the Prophet?” His answer was a flat and final, “No.” [John 1:21] After the feeding of the 5000, Jesus faced the same suggestion: “Surely this is the Prophet.” [John 6:14] On the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus stood up in the temple courts and, in a loud voice, invited people to come to him for a life-giving drink. And what did some people say? “Surely this man is the Prophet.” [John 7:40]

     There are several other Gospel passages that refer to either John the Baptist or Jesus as “a” prophet, but these are the only ones that specify “the” Prophet. It seems like the entire populace knew about this Prophet…leaders, priests, Levites, Pharisees, and “crowd”…but he was distinct from the Messiah. Where did this notion come from?

     The answer is simple and straightforward when we dig into Moses’ writings. [Deuteronomy 18:15-19] This passage gives the picture twice, once from Moses’ perspective and once from God’s, and is well worth quoting:

     "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him…"

     ”I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.”

    It turns out that some of those well-fed 5000 and some of those in the temple courts were right. The ultimate key to identifying The Prophet was “listening to his words.” And the Apostle John begins to lay out that identification in the very first verse of his gospel: “In the beginning was the Word…” Later on, Jesus comments on His own speech: “The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.” [John 6:63] Peter confirms who The Prophet is when he says, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” [John 6:68]

Sad to say, others took a different view: “No, he deceives the people.” [7:12] It seems like the temple guard were convinced; they went back to their superiors without arresting Jesus and were blamed for being deceived, just like the “mob” around them. [John 7:47] Jesus gave credit to His Father for the words He was speaking, just like Moses prophesied: “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me.” [John 7:16]

There is only one conclusion that Scripture allows us—Jesus is The Prophet. He is like Moses in countless details (outlined to some extent in Hebrews chapters 3 and 11) yet he is far, far superior to Moses. Moses never claimed any great powers, yet Jesus declared, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” [John 8:58] The superiority of Jesus over Moses is breath-taking. The best thing we can do is worship.

Is Elijah coming back?

    There were three men the Jews of New Testament times were watching for: The Messiah, The Prophet, and Elijah. The others are obviously more important but, for the moment, we want to focus on Elijah; how did the notion get about that he would return? After Moses, he was arguably the greatest prophet in ancient Israel. His exploits are detailed in I Kings 17, 18, 19; and 2 Kings 1 and 2 (all circa 850 BC). Elijah first appears in Scripture announcing to King Ahab a years-long drought. Later, at his pleading, God restores a boy’s life. Still later, he organizes a “contest” with the prophets of Baal, and we know who won that one. The last we know of Elijah is his journey to Jordan, where his faith in his great God allows him and Elisha to cross dryshod. Then, “Suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.” (2 Kings 2:11 )

     But, over 400 years later (c.430 BC), Malachi has a further word from the Lord (in fact, these are the last two verses of the Old Testament): “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.” [Malachi 4:5, 6]

     The very last word for the Jews was that Elijah would return. That’s why the leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask John the Baptist, “Are you Elijah?” His quick response was, “I am not.” [John1:21] The leaders discounted him ever after. In fact, when Jesus asked them whether John’s baptism was from heaven or of human origin, they dithered and said, “We don’t know.” [Matthew 21:27]

     Matthew had a higher regard for John the Baptist. He claimed that John fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” [Mat.3:3, from Isaiah 40:3]

     Jesus’ attitude to John is surprising too: “If you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.” [Matthew 11:1] It seems that they were not willing to accept it; the curse came down on the nation in 70 A.D., “I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”

     Elijah appeared briefly, very privately, at the transfiguration with Moses and Jesus, but there are Bible scholars who think that Elijah must still return with a public display. Their reference is Revelation 11:3:-- Two witnesses in a future reign of terror behave much like Elijah did in the Old Testament—and they die! Elijah never died in the O.T. Could one of these witnesses be Elijah? It’s interesting to speculate, but that’s all we can do. It does raise the possibility that mankind may indeed, yet see him!