And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 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.
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Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
He shall go before Him. John went before Christ 1. In his birth, for he was born six months before Christ 2. In his baptism, for he baptized before Christ did; yea, he even baptized Christ 3. In preaching, of repentance that he might prepare the way for Christ 4. By pointing out Jesus as the Messiah and Lamb of God who should take away the sin of the world 5. By suffering martyrdom before Christ 6. In descending to the fathers in limbus, and announcing to them that Christ would soon come and set them free.
In the spirit and power of Elias. As Elias did excel and in the end of the world will excel in a spirit steadfast and powerful for contending against Antichrist, so that he will convert Jews and others from him to Christ; so in the same powerful spirit John will excel, and by his preaching and holy example move the hardened Jews to repentance, and so prepare them for the baptism of Christ.
The spirit of power in John was like that in Elias; 1. In the austerity of his life 2. They b...
Turn the hearts of the fathers The angel applies these words (Malachi as iv. 6.) to St. John the Baptist; telling his father, that he shall convert many of the children of Israel by bringing them to the knowledge of Christ. Secondly, that he shall go before him, or be his precursor and forerunner.
In the spirit and power of Elias; i.e. St. John shall be the forerunner of Christ's first coming to redeem mankind, as Elias shall be the forerunner of Christ's second coming to judge the world. Thirdly, that St. John, by converting the Jews, shall also turn the hearts of the fathers to the children The meaning of which obscure words seems to be, that whereas Moses, Abraham, and the prophets, (whose souls were in a place of rest) knew by a revelation from God, that their children, the Jews, lived in sin and disobedience to the laws of God; and on this account were offended and displeased at them: now when they shall know that they have been converted by the preaching of St. John, they shall ...
"Plainly does the commencement of the Gospel quote the words of the holy prophets, and point out Him at once, whom they confessed as God and Lord; Him, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who had also made promise to Him, that He would send His messenger before His face, who was John, crying in the wilderness, in "the spirit and power of Elias".
who should prepare His way, that is, that he should bear witness of that Light in the spirit and power of Elias.
In order that by the miracle of these the hearts of the fathers might be turned to the children, and the disobedient unto the wisdom of the just.
IV. O ye disobedient as regards the wisdom of the just.
Redouble, therefore, your joy, that you have been made the fathers of such children who, under the teaching of God, have celebrated with their praises things unknown to their seniors. Turn your hearts to your children,
