Episode 70 reveals the teaching mission of the coming Elijah who will prepare the way for the return of Melchizedek. He will lead a return to Jesus and his central teaching: the doing of God’s will.

 

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The Future of the Teachings of Jesus
51. The Herald of Melchizedek-Part 2 (Ep. 70)
The Kingdom of God 

October 2026

 

I will send you Elijah the prophet. Malachi concludes his teachings about Melchizedek with his famous prophecy: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes (Mal 4:5). This prophecy points to the time of the end, when Melchizedek will come to deliver the world from the antichrist. It also reveals that Melchizedek’s coming will be preceded by a forerunner, identified as Elijah the prophet, who will announce Melchizedek’s arrival and prepare the way for his mission. This forerunner is called Elijah because, like the Elijah of old, he will be a strong advocate for righteousness in a world that has lost sight of God and fallen under the power of unrighteousness and evil.

The three Elijahs. Scripture presents three Elijah figures with one shared purpose: preparing the way for God by calling the people back to righteousness. The original Elijah turned Israel from paganism to the righteous Creator God of Abraham. The second Elijah, John the Baptist, prepared the way for Jesus through his call to repentance. The third Elijah will prepare the way for Melchizedek by calling the world back to Jesus and his original teachings.

The two Johns. John the Baptist and the coming Elijah stand in the same prophetic path as the original Elijah. But their parallel reaches even deeper, for each is appointed to prepare the way for the mission of a divine Son. John the Baptist announced the coming of Jesus, the Lord of our universe, awakening hearts to receive him and respond to His message of the kingdom of God. In the same prophetic spirit, the new John will proclaim the coming of Melchizedek, an exalted divine Son of Jesus, urging the world to return to Jesus and his actual kingdom teachings. The parallel is powerful. The first John prepared the world for Jesus’ arrival; the new John will call the world back to Jesus.

The kingdom of God is at hand. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus by proclaiming, Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand (Mt 3:2). His proclamation did more than call people to repentance; it announced the imminent appearance of Jesus, who came preaching the gospel of the kingdom (Lk 4:43). This pattern will unfold once more. The new John will prepare the way for Melchizedek by also proclaiming that the kingdom of God is at hand. This time, these words will announce the coming revival of the kingdom Jesus originally taught, the Father’s will dominant in the heart of His believing children.

The literal meaning of the kingdom of God.  Jesus’ teaching becomes clearer when we analyze the meaning of the word “kingdom.” A kingdom is the domain over which a king rules. The kingdom of God, then, is the realm of God’s rule, wherever his will is done. It is not only a place we hope to enter after death; it is a way of life we may enter now, by faith, when we choose to do the Father’s will.

Jesus made clear his concept of the kingdom through both his teaching and his life example. Jesus revealed the kingdom in both his teachings and in his life example. He taught his followers to pray, Your kingdom come; your will be done (Mt 6:10), thereby directly linking God’s kingdom with God’s will. In the Sermon on the Mount, he made the same point unmistakably: Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but rather he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven (Mt 7:21). In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus dramatically exemplified what he taught. Facing arrest and crucifixion by the Romans, he prayed, Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done (Lk 22:42). His words and actions proclaim one consistent truth: life in God’s kingdom means placing ourselves under God’s rule.

Your will be done. This then is the heart of Jesus’ teaching: doing the Father’s will. The decisive question of life is simple but deeply personal—what will rule the heart: God’s will or self-will? Every moral or spiritual choice we make gives us an opportunity to answer. Our part as God’s children is to follow Jesus and sincerely pray in every decisive moment, Your will be done (Mt 26:42). We may rest in the assurance that this choice of the Father’s will is the one choice that is right in all circumstances.

Not my will, but yours, be done. The need for this prayer becomes greatest when the stakes are high and we are strongly pulled one way or another. At such moments, self-interest can disguise itself as wisdom or even righteousness. Jesus gives us a safeguard: pray sincerely, not my will, but yours, be done (Lk 22:42). These words do more than express submission. They loosen the grip of self-will and deliberately place the heart under God’s rule.

Human weakness and the choice of God’s will. Human beings are weak, fallible, and easily deceived. Even when we sincerely desire God’s will, we may mistake self-interest for righteousness. How, then, can we remain faithful over a lifetime? We can follow Jesus’ example again and again. Each time we pray Your will be done (Mt 26:42) or Not my will but yours be done (Lk 22:42), we train the heart to remain loyal to God’s will. We can strengthen this commitment by consistently affirming: It is my will that your will be done.

The habit-forming certainty of choosing God’s will. Repeated choices become habits, and habits shape a life. As we continually choose God’s way, even in confusing and difficult circumstances, we strengthen the habit-forming certainty that we will choose rightly no matter what doubts or temptations we face. Following in God’s way will become more than a doctrine we confess. It will become the governing reality of how we live.

Conclusion. This concludes episode 70. The ensuing episodes will continue the exploration of the teachings of the coming Elijah, who is also the new John, and his efforts to turn the world back to a more exclusive focus on Jesus and his life-giving teachings.

 

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