Louisbooth, Based on what you are saying then, I would really feel a lot of pity for the jews at the time of our Lord was in this world. Two thousand years ago, the Jewish people were expecting to see Elijah literally, physically descend from heaven... possibly in the exact same "chariot of fire" that he had used to ascend "into heaven." Furthermore, they also expected that soon after Elijah's return, the Messiah was going to appear. And they knew that when the Messiah came, he not only was going to free them from Roman domination, but he also was going to exalt Israel over all the nations of the earth. The Jewish people had good reason to believe these things. These expectations are derived from explicit statements made in the Bible.
The story of how the 'return of Elijah' prophecy was actually fulfilled can be found in two separate places in the New Testament. It can also be found in a 1900 year old, non-Biblical, Christian book that provides us with what is probably the most graphic example illustrating the importance of this prophecy.
Justin Martyr was a very prominent Christian at a time when Christianity was still in its infancy. In "Eerdman's Handbook to the History of Christianity" Justin Martyr is described as "the most notable of the second century [Christian] apologists." (p. 108)
Justin Martyr lived approximately 100 AD. He wrote a book titled The Dialogue with Trypho the Jew. This book is a record of a discussion between Justin Martyr and Trypho- a Jewish rabbi. This "dialogue" begins with Justin telling the rabbi that he believes that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah. The following excerpt contains this rabbi's response.
It reads:
"When I (Justin) had said this, [the students who were with the rabbi] laughed; but he smiling, says, 'I approve of your other remarks, and admire the eagerness with which you study divine things; but it were better for you abide in the philosophy of Plato..."
Before Justin became a Christian he was a follower of the Greek philosophers and he still wore the characteristic flowing robes of a Roman philosopher. The quote continues:
"...It were better for you abide in the philosophy of Plato rather than be deceived by false words, and follow the opinions of people of no reputation... for when you have forsaken God, and reposed confidence in man, what safety still awaits you?"
Now, here's the important part:
"...But Christ- if he has indeed been born, and exists anywhere... has no power until Elijah comes to anoint him, and make him manifest to all. And you, having accepted a groundless report, invent a Christ for yourselves, and for his sake are inconsiderately perishing." -Ante Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, p. 198.
In this one short passage, this rabbi reveals exactly what the Jewish religious leaders and the Jewish people of two thousand years ago were expecting to see before the Messiah appeared. Trypho knew that Jesus could not possibly have been the Messiah because he knew from the unmistakable text of the 'return of Elijah' prophecy that anyone who claimed to be the Christ before Elijah the Prophet had visibly returned from heaven would have to be a false Prophet.
Jesus explained to the people that,
In fact, he [Elijah] already has come, but he wasn't recognized, and was badly mistreated by many... Then the disciples realized he was speaking of John the Baptist."-Matthew 17:10-13 (LIVING BIBLE-CATHOLIC EDITION) (this account can also be found in: Mark 9:11-13)
Clearly, Jesus taught that this was a true prophecy. Jesus agreed that Elijah indeed "must return before the Messiah comes." But then, to the surprise to everyone there, Jesus claimed that John the Baptist was the fulfillment of this prophecy.
Jesus' explanation was not well received by the Jewish religious leaders. The rabbis considered them selves to be the greatest experts of Judaism in the entire world. They knew what their prophecies said and they certainly thought they knew what was going to happen when the Messiah finally did appear. As far as they could see none of these prophecies had been fulfilled, Elijah had not returned and there certainly was no visible evidence that the Messiah had come. Nothing had changed. Everything was just as it always had been.
How, they wondered, could John possibly have been the return of Elijah? Malachi didn't say anything about Elijah's return being in some mysterious, unrecognizable way. Neither does he say that some other man is going to be born hundreds of years later and that this man somehow was going to be the return of Elijah. Instead, Malachi clearly says that Elijah himself was going to return. That's not a difficult concept to visualize. Elijah ascended into heaven in a chariot of fire. And he's going to come back. Visibly. Physically. In the flesh. Or so they thought.
The rabbis did not believe Jesus' explanation that John the Baptist was the return of Elijah. And why should they? They knew that Elijah was supposed to visibly return from heaven and, as the elect of Judaism, it's very likely that they would have expected to be among the very first to welcome him when he actually did return. After all, how could they possibly miss anything as obvious as a Prophet of God floating down from out of the sky in a chariot of fire?
Malachi's prophecy explicitly says that Elijah himself was going to return... not some other man. Instead of Elijah personally returning from heaven, what the rabbis actually got was John... a dirty looking fellow, who wore a leather loincloth, a camel's hair robe and who ate locusts for lunch. John the Baptist actually ate grasshoppers! John did not fit any picture that the rabbis might have had of what the spectacular second coming of Elijah was going to be like. John the Baptist didn't come floating down from heaven. Instead, he came into the world in the same way as everyone else. John had a mother. He had a father. John had been born as a child and he had grown up just like everyone else. On the other hand, Elijah had been born eight hundred and fifty years before John. John was not named Elijah. John had a different body, a different personality, different teachings and a different purpose.
The rabbis might have also pointed out that even John himself had said that he was not Elijah. At one point, early in his ministry, John the Baptist was asked whether he was Elijah. He answered that he was not. (see John 1:21)
Nothing about John would indicate that he was Elijah. Elijah had physically ascended "into heaven" in a "chariot of fire." And, everyone believed that the same Elijah who had disappeared into heaven was himself, personally going to return... possibly even in the same "chariot of fire" that he had used when he ascended up into heaven.
In what way could John the Baptist have been the return of Elijah? Certainly not literally. This apparent contradiction can be resolved by a statement made at the beginning of the Gospel of Luke where it explains that John went "on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah." Luke 1:17 (KJV)
So you see, there is no way for me to take the account in 2 Kings as literal. It just would plainly contradict what the New Testament teaches.
