Matt 17:10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things.
12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.”
Please explain your understanding of the above.
John was in the spirit of, the message Elijah preaches. That Elijah Ministry to bring Israel to The Father,
or the wicked to their father Satan. That is a brief explanation to what is taught in Malachi 4. Spirit means the same work, the same teaching that God wants sent. Of The Holy Spirit. But a message is not the man which is what your question is about. Christ is saying Elijah has come in that sense, the message was preached. Yet people rejected it. With Satan's influence.
Their accepting The Lord Christ, was a condition they had to meet for John to have fulfilled that requirement outlined in Malachi And The Kingdom Come at that time. That condition was not met.
No marvel because, its already written. We have hindsight to see the people rejected The Lord Messiah and John The Baptist.
John died that day when he was beheaded of the people. And it is written its given to men to die once, etc.
It may be noteworthy that Elijah is recorded as not dying, but being taken as Enoch was. And so Malachi 4 was not fulfilled by John The Baptist, as Christ explains in the verses I'll post now.
2 Kings 2:11-12 kjv
And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
John's preaching mirrored what Elijah would be saying, of what will be before The actual return, of Christ.
Whenever Satan is put to this earth, claiming to be Christ and whole world harlot after him.
2 Thessalians 2 kjv.
Luke 1:17
17 And he shall 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.
Matthew 3:5-7
5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw
many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them,
O generation of vipers,
who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
The wrath to come, concerns the second advent. Christs actual, return. Not the first which was to bring Salvation.
Here Christ reads directly from Isaiah about the first, and then second advent:
Luke 4:21
And he began to say unto them,
This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
The Lord is reading from The Prophet Isaiah. The first advent which He accomplished at The Cross.
However if you continue reading Isaiah were The Lord Christ closed the book on. It is the second advent that reads next.
Isaiah 61:1-2
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
( This is that, wrath John The Baptist warned The Brood of Vipers, Satan's children stand condemned in that day. Unless they accept Christ and repent of their evil ways.)
Matthew 17:11 "And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things."
( Concerning prophecy, in Malachi, the Kingdom when all things are restored, Elijah arrives just before it )
Matthew 17:12 "But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not,
but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them."
This underlined portion is what the people did, braking the condition of accepting The Lord.
The Lord is declaring prophecy before the fact. He knows the course of events are leading to this outcome already. The people will brake the condition of accepting Him.
So If you read prophecy in Malachi, Elijah comes at the end.
The actual return of Christ at The Lords Day, at The Last Trump as written. When The Kingdom is actual established. John taught that message, that message has come, The Messiah Himself was standing before them, The King of that Kingdom preached. However, the people beheaded John and murdered Christ.
So all things considered, The end, did not happen.
Instead to repeat, they broke the condition.
God knew this aforetime because of prophecy He declared.
Its that simple, was the crucifixion the return? No.
Matthew 11:14
14
And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
Christ suffered at their hands, because they rejected Salvation that day To their own shame. Yet God used their actions for a positive to offer the world Salvation for whomsoever will Believe in Him. Satan's fate was sealed, and Christ shall return at the second advent to restore all things. Elijah shall come then, as Malachi declares.
John knew this already, because he often ask The Lord about this very thing.
Matthew 11:3-5
And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
( This translation is a bit iffy. Given all these scriptures concerning the first, and second advent in The Bible and some I posted here, John is asking The Lord, Is this the time you shall restore the Kingdom of God to earth, Or do we look for another? ( that is to say another advent ).
Christ answers and reveals clarity to the question when He teaches of the first advent. As He did when He opened Isaiah noted mid way through this reply. )
4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
Christ is pointing back to Isaiah.
John was brought up to knowledge on these things,
what was John's teaching concerning then?
John 1:21
And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias?
And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet?
And he answered,
No.
These scriptures are easy to accept because they are Gods words...
John knew he and The Lord would be rejected and so taught he was not Elijah. However the same spirit of message remained true. As obvious as The Lord Himself walked among them.
So Elijah Himself, shall come as Malachi and Revelation teach us. Its then at Satan's time, will Elijah and Moses die in the arena or gathering place. But it won't be John The Baptist.
Hope that helps someone. That will be the last reply from me on this question.