Word Made Flesh : Week 3 – The Prophet
This Week’s Message: Word Made Flesh: Part 3 – The Prophet The very last book of the Old Testament, in the last chapter, in the last two verses, we read of the coming of a Prophet like Elijah: “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. After these words are written, there are 400 years of silence from heaven. For 400 years Israel waited to hear from God again. They were waiting for God’s prophet. And then suddenly it happened. A prophet appeared in the desert, John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. (Mrk 1:4-5) Then Jesus himself identifies John as the Elijah written about in Malachi: “And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.” This is the most momentous announcement from heaven, in 400 years. What does this mean?