Episode 69 introduces a most mysterious figure. He will be a third Elijah and a second John. He will be a warrior for righteousness and prepare the way for the return of Melchizedek. 

 

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The Future of the Teachings of Jesus 
50. The Herald of Melchizedek-Part 1 (Ep. 69
Elijah the Prophet

 

September 2026

 

The forerunner of Melchizedek. The final two verses of Malachi direct our attention to one of the most mysterious figures in prophecy. He is a messenger. His mission is to prepare the way for the return of Melchizedek. Malachi first introduces this messenger in chapter 3, verse 1: Behold I send my messenger to prepare the way before me. Then, in Malachi 4:5, this messenger is given a name, Elijah the prophet: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.

Who is Elijah? Who is Elijah? This legendary prophet of old appeared in the northern kingdom of Israel in the ninth century BC. This was after the war of separation that resulted in the division of the Jewish state into two kingdoms, Judah and Israel. This division lead to a descent into spiritual decadence that continued disastrously after the conclusion of the war. During this period, the people increasingly lost sight of the Universal Creator Father—the truth taught by Abraham and Melchizedek and Abraham. In its place, the worship of Baal the pagan city despots who oppressed the countryside. This was Elijah’s world: a world of darkness, corruption, and false worship. Into this setting came Elijah: a fearless warrior for righteousness, and a powerful voice calling the people back to the one God of Melchizedek and Abraham.

Why is Melchizedek’s forerunner referred to as Elijah? Why is Melchizedek’s forerunner referred to as Elijah? The first reason is the similarity of the times in which they both appear. The first Elijah arose when spiritual darkness had settled over Israel. The nation was ruled by a powerful, corrupt, and pagan elite. The future Elijah announced by Malachi will appear in a similar time. Many will have lost sight of God. Many will have embraced a secular way of life. And this Elijah will confront a powerful, evil, and godless ruling elite—this time represented by the antichrist and his allied forces. In both times, an irreligious and corrupt leadership, centered in the cities, dominates a more righteous rural population

The Elijah to come will confront evil and restore true religion. The second reason Melchizedek’s forerunner is identified with Elijah is the similarity of the mission they undertake. Like the Elijah of old, the coming Elijah will courageously confront the evil forces of the dominant ruling class. He will speak out against evil and call the people to return to righteousness. He will come in the spirit and power of Elijah and lead the world back to the Universal Father. The original Elijah prepared the way for the people to return to the Universal Father taught by Melchizedek. The coming Elijah will lead the world back to the loving heavenly Father taught by Jesus and thereby prepare the way for Melchizedek’s return.

John the Baptist was a second Elijah.  Elijah was the first of Israel’s teachers to be widely recognized as a prophet. John the Baptist consciously copied Elijah, in his appearance, in his manner of life, and in his aggressive preaching style. Luke tells us that, before John’s birth, an angel appeared to his father, Zechariah, and declared: 16And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God, 17and he will 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 for the Lord a people prepared (Lk 1:16-17). With these words, the angel presented John as a second Eljah. And the reason is clear. Just as Elijah prepared the people foe a return to the God of Abraham, John prepared the people for the coming of Jesus, the divine Son of Abraham’s God.

Jesus also identified John as a second Elijah. Jesus also identified John as a second Elijah because John was the forerunner of his divine mission, just as the coming Elijah will be the forerunner of Melchizedek’s divine mission. Jesus said: 12Elijah does come first to prepare the way for the Son of Man, who must suffer many things and be rejected. 13But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased (Mk 9:12-13).

The Elijah to come will be a third Elijah. If we recognize John the Baptist as a second Elijah, then the future Elijah may be understood as a third Elijah. They are both identified with the original Elijah because all three share the same prophetic pattern. Each call the people back to God the Universal Father and His righteousness. Each stand as fearless warriors for righteousness in a world where faith in God has declined and unrighteousness is ascendant. Their missions are almost identical. The original Elijah prepared the way for a return to the Father God of Abraham. John the Baptist prepared the way for the coming of the Father’s divine Son, Jesus. And the third Elijah will prepare the way for the return of Jesus’ divine representative, Melchizedek.

Conclusion. In conclusion, it is evident that Malachi’s prophecy is not a small detail at the end of the Old Testament. It is a doorway into the future.  It tells us that before the great and terrible day of the Lord, another Elijah will come. He will be a third Elijah. He will be a warrior for righteousness. He will call the world back to God the Father. And he will prepare the way for the return of Melchizedek and his destruction of the evil forces that dominate our world.    

Episode 70. This concludes Episode 69. In the next episode, we will continue our study of the third Elijah and examine the teaching mission he will fulfill.

 

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