And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come?
Read Chapter 17
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Elias must come first. The prophet Elias will come again in person before my second coming to judgment, and will re-establish all things, by the conversion of the Jews to the Christian faith, according to the common opinion. But John the Baptist who was Elias in spirit, is already come. See Matthew xi. 14. (Witham)
This was a vulgar error spread by the Scribes among the Jewish people. It proceeded from an erroneous interpretation of Scripture. They confounded the two comings of our Saviour. The Baptist was the precursor of Christ at his first coming, and was styled by our Lord Elias, because he performed the office of Elias; and he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias. (Luke i. 17.)
But this prophet in person will be the precursor of the second coming of Christ. Whereby Malachi as, predicting this coming of Christ, says: I will send to you Elias the The bite; thus evidently distinguishing him from the Baptist, who was also Elias in spirit and in the dignity of his off...
Unless we know the reasons why the disciples asked about the name of Elijah, their questioning seems foolish and extraordinary. For what does asking about Elijah’s arrival have to do with what was written above? The Pharisees’ tradition, following the prophet Malachi of the twelve minor prophets, is that Elijah comes before the end. He turns the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers and restores everything to its ancient state. So the disciples think that the transfiguration of glory is the one that they have seen on the mountain and say, “If you now have come in glory, why does your precursor not appear?” especially since they had seen Elijah disappear. But when they say, “The scribes say that Elijah must first come,” by the word first they are saying that unless Elijah comes, it is not the advent of the Savior according to the Scriptures. .
Not then from the Scriptures did they know this, but the Scribes used to explain themselves, and this saying was reported abroad among the ignorant people; as about Christ also.
Wherefore the Samaritan woman also said, Messiah comes; when He has come, He will tell us all things: John 4:25 and they themselves asked John, Are you Elias, or the Prophet? John 1:21 For the saying, as I said, prevailed, both that concerning the Christ and that concerning Elias, not however rightly interpreted by them.
For the Scriptures speak of two advents of Christ, both this that is past, and that which is to come; and declaring these Paul said, The grace of God, that brings salvation, has appeared, teaching us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, and righteously, and godly. Behold the one, hear how he declares the other also; for having said these things, he added, Looking for the blessed hope and appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13 And t...
The scribes were deceiving the people, saying that Jesus was not the Christ, for if He were, Elijah would first have come. But they did not know that there are two comings of Christ, the Forerunner of the first being John, and of the second, Elijah. Christ then explains this to the disciples. Listen:
