JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS ELIJAH THE PROPHET

Search the Bible from cover to cover and see if you can find any prophet that ever said "I am the last prophet!" Did Moses say that? or Isaiah? or Daniel? or any of the old testament prophets? No! Why not? True, you can say that Malachi was the last prophet in the Old Testament Scriptures, but he did not say, "I am the last prophet;" because he predicted that a prophet was yet to come. Read it for yourself:

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord {Jesus}."--Malachi 4:5 (bold emphasis, braces added).

It was John the baptist who fulfilled Malachi's prophecy, because he was the Elijah that came "before" the coming of the Lord. That is, before the appearance of the Messiah, he began to preach to the Jews as the "voice...in the wilderness" (Jn. 1:23; Isa. 40:3), and baptized those who were repentant. And when Jesus (the Messiah) came for baptism, he pointed to Him and said, "Behold the Lamb of God" (Jn. 1:29). Afterwards, Jesus told His disciples that John was Elijah (Mt. 17:11-13), the greatest of all prophets (Mt. 11:11). And when the Pharisees asked him: "Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not" (Jn. 1:21); that is, they wanted to know if he was the ancient Elijah (2 Ki. 2:11) come again. And though John denied that he was ancient Elijah (Jn. 1:21), Jesus later said (Mt. 17:13) he was Elijah (G.C.S. 31:3). Since, however, both John and Jesus told the truth, then it is obvious that John was right--he was not ancient Elijah; and Jesus was right--"John came in the spirit and power of Elijah" (D.A. 135:3). And what was that spirit? Ancient Elijah rebuked the wicked king Ahab (1 Ki. 17:1) in the spirit of God. It was by this same spirit that John rebuked the Pharisees when he called them a "generation of vipers" (Mt. 3:7). But this is not all that Jesus said about Elijah.

JOHN DID NOT RESTORE ALL THINGS

"And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things."--Matthew 17:11 (bold emphasis added).

Since the disciples knew that Malachi had predicted Elijah was to come before the Lord (the Messiah) should appear, and since they knew that John the Baptist was that Elijah, because Jesus said he was to "restore all things" (Mt. 17:11), then that is the reason why His disciples asked Him, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6). "And He said unto them, it is not for you to know the times or the seasons" (Acts 1:7). His answer proves that the kingdom was to be restored to Israel, but they were not "to know the times" when it will be restored. And though John the Baptist was Elijah, he did not restore the kingdom to Israel. And the New Testament Christian era has continued almost two thousand years until today--"the times" (Acts 1:7) when God's "kingdom" (Dan. 2:44) is to be restored in the "latter days" (Dan. 2:28). This irrefutable fact proves that there must be another person who would come in the "spirit and power of Elijah" to bring the message of truth in the latter days to restore the kingdom to Israel. And the reason why another Elijah is to come, is because John did not say, "I am the last prophet!

JOHN DID NOT SAY HE WAS THE LAST PROPHET

There are some misguided Christians who do not understand the Bible as they should; and they try to make others believe that Jesus said John was the last prophet forever. If Jesus had said John was Elijah the last prophet, then He could not have said that Elijah would restore the kingdom to Israel (Mt. 17:11); because John did not do this. A close observation of His words reveals the fact that though He said Elijah was to "restore all things" (Mt. 17:11), He did not say John the Baptist was the last prophet to do that work. The reason why is because Matthew said "the disciples understood that He spake unto them of John the Baptist" (Mt. 17:13), but Jesus did not say that the Elijah who was to "restore all things" was John the Baptist; they just assumed He was talking about John the Baptist. This fact proves irrefutably that Jesus' words (Mt. 17:11) meant two things: (1) John the Baptist was the Old Testament Elijah before Christ's first advent. (2) But he was not the New Testament Elijah who comes in the last days before Christ's second advent to "restore all things," especially the literal "kingdom to Israel" (Acts 1:6). It is obvious, then, that it is the devil, not Jesus, who would have the misguided Christians teach that there is not to be another Elijah the prophet after John the Baptist. And these are the words that Jesus said which they pervert:

"For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John {the Baptist}."--Matthew 11:13 (bold emphasis, braces added).

These misguided Christians think the above text means that Jesus was teaching there are to be no prophets after John the Baptist. But the very fact that you can read the above words which Jesus said in the book of Matthew, is proof that John was not the last prophet; because Matthew came after John and wrote in the New Testament Scriptures (which makes him a prophet)! This is further proven by the fact that Jesus also came after John and He was a prophet! The Jews said of Him, "This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee" (Mt. 21:11); and the woman at the well said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet" (Jn. 4:19); and the blind man He healed said of Him, "He is a prophet" (Jn. 9:17). And Jesus also said of Himself, "A prophet is not without honor, but in His own country, and among His own kin, and in His own house." (Mk. 6:4). This irrefutable fact proves that John was not the last prophet ever to come; so what did Jesus mean when He said that all the prophets prophesised until John?

"But the hue and cry of the opposition {misguided Christians} is, Away with prophecies at this time! For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. Matt. 11:13. If the aforequoted scripture means that there were to be no more prophets after John, then there should have been none since that time. And were this the meaning, then the Scriptures would contradict themselves, for they bear evidence that while Christ was the Son of God, He was also 'a prophet.' Luke 24:19. And although John the Baptist never wrote a single prophetic utterance, yet he was rated by Christ with the greatest of the prophets (Luke 7:28). Also Matthew, Mark, and Luke, under the Spirit of Inspiration, wrote concerning Christ and His work. Likewise John, Peter, and Paul, and others contemporary with them, prophesied in their own right of many things to come. All these are Scripturally accorded the title 'prophet.'"--6 Tract, pg. 5:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"Those who on the one hand contend that there were to be no prophets after John the Baptist, and who on the other hand profess to believe in the New Testament Scriptures {written by prophets}, which were written after John's death, are themselves in darkness, and are, by their private (uninspired) interpretations of the Scriptures, spreading a cloud of darkness wherever they go. May God have mercy on them all.

"In the light of these facts, Jesus' statement that 'all the prophets and the law prophesied until John,' obviously has a wholly different meaning from what has been taught by uninspired men {misguided Christians}. When it is illuminated by the same Spirit Who indicted it, the resultant interpretation is trouble-free, revealing that Christ separated the prophets into a two-fold classification--those until John {Old Testament} and those after him {New Testament}.

"Sacred history shows that the prophets in the first division {Old Testament} received the Word directly from God through the medium of His Spirit. They were not obliged to prove any part of their prophecies by the writings of the preceding prophets. Whereas the prophets in the second division {New Testament} are appointed by the unction of the Spirit to interpret the writings of the prophets of the first division {Old Testament}."--6 Tract, pgs. 8, 9 (bold emphasis, braces added).

It is obvious that Jesus wisely "separated the prophets into a two-fold classification" for at least these three reasons: (1) He knew that the Jews would only believe the writings of Moses and the prophets. (2) He also knew that they would not tolerate other new prophets, such as the apostles and disciples who wrote the gospel and the Revelation. (3) And because of this, He knew that the Holy Spirit would lead the Christian Jews to designate the Jewish writings as the Old Testament Scriptures, and the gospel writings as the New Testament Scriptures; because of His statement that "all the prophets...prophesied until John" the Baptist (Mt. 11:13). Thus, His words made John the last prophet (in the Old Testament Scriptures), and implied that other prophets would prophecy afterwards (in the New Testament Scriptures); which proved that He did not mean there would be no prophets after John the Baptist, because other prophets (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, etc.) did prophecy (teach--6 Tr. 66:1) afterwards, and also wrote in the New Testament Scriptures about Jesus who was a prophet (Mt. 21:11; Mk. 6:4; Lk. 24:19; Jn. 9:17)! The misguided Christians, however, say that John the Baptist is the last prophet forever and none would come thereafter (in the New Testament Scriptures). But if this is true, then they are teaching that the New Testament Scriptures (about the prophet Jesus--the Messiah) was written by false prophets!

ACCEPT THE TRUE PROPHETS AND BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS

Furthermore, Jesus said to "beware of false prophets" (Mt. 7:15), which implies that there are true prophets; because a false prophet is a counterfeit of a true prophet. But if there are no true prophets after John the Baptist (as some misguided Christians say), then that would mean that Jesus and the apostles were all false prophets! Thus, Jesus would be telling the Christians to beware of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul and Himself, whose prophetic writings made up the new Testament Scriptures. And if that is true (according to what these misguided Christians say), then there would be no New Testament Scriptures written by true prophets, and no true Christians to hear and follow them; because Jesus would have been a false prophet who pretended to be the Messiah, which they were to beware of! And again if that is true (according to what these misguided Christians say), then the Jews were justified in killing Christ Jesus and persecuting the Christian Jews for preaching the false doctrines of a false prophet and a counterfeit messiah. Therefore, when these misguided Christians twist the meaning of Jesus' words (Mt. 11:13), they do not realize that they are unwittingly proclaiming to everyone that all Christians are "deluded Gentiles" (2 T.G. 35:27:0), who are following the teachings of false prophets that came after John the Baptist--the last prophet!

The early Christians, however, had no problem with believing that Jesus and some apostles and disciples were prophets who prophesied after John the Baptist; because they accepted the prophets of the New Testament Scriptures, as did all true Christians during the New Testament Christian era. But now in the latter days there are misguided Christians who try to make others believe that Jesus said there would be no true prophets after John the Baptist during the entire New Testament Christian era. And who has misguided them?--the devil, of course, who has led the Christians today to unwittingly reject all the New Testament prophets, by their perversion of Mt. 11:13; because he especially wants them to reject Elijah, the last prophet who is to "restore all things" (Mt. 17:11), just before the second advent of Christ Jesus!

It is obvious, therefore, that all true Christians can see that Jesus meant John the Baptist was the last prophet in the Old Testament Scriptures; therefore, John the Revelator would be the last prophet in the New Testament Scriptures. And this fact proves irrefutably that there must be another last prophet in the last days who would come in the spirit and power of Elijah before Christ's second advent, as John the Baptist came in the "spirit and power of Elijah" (D.A. 135:3) before Christ's first advent. And since Jesus said that Elijah was to "restore all things" (Mt. 17:11), which John the Baptist did not do; neither did he "restore the kingdom to Israel" (Acts 1:6) as the Jews and the apostles had expected, then the restoration of that literal kingdom must be done by the message and work of this last Elijah in the last days. And if John the Baptist didn't restore the literal kingdom, as Jesus said an Elijah was to do (Mt. 17:11), then what work did he do to prepare the work of Jesus?

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND

"In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea. And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."--Matthew 3:1-3 (bold emphasis added).

"From that time Jesus began to preach, and say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."--Matthew 4:17 (bold emphasis added).

"In many of His parables, Christ uses the expression, 'the kingdom of heaven,' to designate the work of divine grace upon the hearts of men."--Great Controversy, pg. 347:0

The kingdom of heaven which both John and Jesus spoke of meant the work of heaven upon the hearts of men. It did not mean that John was to restore the "kingdom to Israel" (Acts 1:6) by the overthrow of the Roman empire as the Jewish people thought. Instead, it meant that before the literal kingdom could be restored to Israel, it first had to be restored in the hearts of the people; and that is why Jesus told the Jews that it was to be "within you" (Lk. 17:21).

"Jesus answered, 'The kingdom of God cometh not with outward show [margin]: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you' {Lk. 17:21}. The kingdom of God begins in the heart. Look not here or there for manifestations of earthly power to mark its beginning."--Desire of Ages, pg. 506:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

Jesus made it very clear that the kingdom which John the Baptist said was "at hand," was not to "restore the kingdom to Israel" (Acts 1:6) by overthrowing the Roman government; because He said that it was to be within them--in the hearts of the Christian Jews. And that is what He told Nicodemus--"Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (Jn. 3:3). This means that those true Christian Jews and Gentiles who continued on down through the New Testament era for nearly two thousand years until today, are those who loved Jesus and the truth. They are the "born again" Christians who have the spiritual kingdom "within" them in their hearts! Thus, the kingdom which John the Baptist said was "at hand" (Mt. 3:1,2), was the beginning of its restoration in the hearts of the "born again" Christians. And though the spiritual kingdom was in their hearts, yet they died; so they could not receive the literal kingdom until the resurrection at Christ's second advent when they will literally "enter into the kingdom of God" (Jn. 3:3). But not so with the "born again" Christians who have the spiritual kingdom "within" them in their hearts, and who are living today, because they will not die. Instead, they will enter the literal kingdom of God set up in the latter days, and be translated (1 Thess. 4:17) "without tasting death" (P.K. 227:2) at the second advent of Christ Jesus. It is this literal kingdom in the latter days which Jesus taught the Christians to pray for in the Lord's prayer, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (Mt. 6:10).

"The disciples of Christ were looking for the immediate coming of the kingdom of His glory, but in giving them this prayer Jesus taught that the {literal} kingdom was not then to be established. They were to pray for its coming as an event yet future. But this petition was also an assurance to them. While they were not to behold the coming of the {literal} kingdom in their day, the fact that Jesus made them pray for it is evidence that in God's own time {in the last days} it will surely come."--Mount of Blessing, pgs. 107,108 (bold emphasis, braces added).

Thus, the disciples of Christ (Jews and Gentiles) are the "born again" Christians who have the kingdom "within" them in their hearts; and they descended down through the New Testament Christian era until today. They not only pray (Mt. 6:10) for the literal kingdom to be restored by Elijah the last prophet (Mt. 17:11) in the latter days of this earth, but they are also to receive it before Jesus comes the second time. And since He told John in the book of Revelation that "seven candlesticks...are the seven churches" (Rev. 1:20), then the descendants of these disciples must be found in the seventh "candlestick"--the last church (Laodicea).

LAODICEA--THE LAST CHURCH IN THE LAST DAYS

The church of "Laodicea" (Rev. 3:14) is the last one of the seven candlesticks which John the Revelator saw with the "Son of man" (Jesus) standing in their midst (Rev. 1:13). Jesus told John that the "seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches" (Rev. 1:20). There is, therefore, no need for anyone to wonder which churches these candlesticks symbolize, because of the fact that the "Son of man" (Jesus) is standing in their midst; which proves irrefutably that they can only be Christian churches! And the fact that there are seven candlesticks, which number means completeness, proves indisputably that they symbolize the Christian churches during the entire New Testament Christian era (A.A. 585:3), from early Christianity up to the latter days today. And since we are living in the last days, then it is necessary to know who are the people of the last "candlestick" church--Laodicea. Then we can learn who is Elijah and why he is the last prophet.

"Laodicea may be infallibly recognized amidst the many 'isms' of Christendom by the work she is doing--declaring the judgment. Indeed, this mark of identification is pointed out by the very name Laodicea, compounded of the two Greek words lao and dekei, the one meaning 'people,' also 'speak,' the other meaning 'judgment,' the two in one meaning the people declaring judgment. The church, therefore, which declares, 'Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come' (Rev. 14:7), is evidently the one called Laodicea. And it is almost as well known outside Seventh-day Adventist circles as within, that the Seventh-day Adventist church is endeavoring to carry the judgment message of Revelation 14:7, and is therefore unchallenged in her claim to the title, Laodicea."--1 Answerer Book, pg. 11:2 (bold emphasis added).

Jesus said that "all the prophets...prophesied until John" (Mt. 11:13). They were those who were inspired to write the Old Testament Scriptures; after which other prophets (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, and Paul were inspired to write the New Testament Scriptures. Then later, the Lord inspired others in the last days to prophecy, when He raised up His church--the seventh and last "candlestick" of Laodicea (Rev. 3:14) by the name of Seventh-day Adventists. He gave Ellen G. Harmon (who later married James White) a vision of the 144,000 saints, and she became a prophetess of the Lord (1 S.M. 35:1). It was for this reason that she became "...the denomination's founder, Mrs. E.G. White, whose writings are known by the organization to be the Spirit of Prophecy (Rev. 12:17; 19:10)" (6 Tr. 3:2).

"Again: we are forewarned that there would be false prophets (Mt. 7:15) in the last days, and the Bible gives a test by which to try their teachings in order that we may distinguish between the true and the false. The grand test is the law of God, which is applied both to the prophesyings and to the moral character of the prophets. If there were to be no true prophesyings in the last days, how much easier to have stated the fact, and thus cut off all chance for deception, than to give a test by which to try them, as if there would be the genuine {true prophets} as well as the false {prophets}."--Early Writings, pg. 138:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

As the Jews needed more truth besides the Old Testament Scriptures, which was given to them in the New Testament Scriptures; so the Christians in last days need more truth, which was given to them in the "testimony of Jesus...the spirit of prophecy" (Rev. 19:10)--the writings of Sis. Ellen G. White, which proved her to be a true "genuine" prophetess of the Lord. But nowhere in her writings did she ever say, "I am the last prophetess." Instead, she predicted in 1890 that another prophet (Elijah) was to come:

A PROPHETESS PREDICTS THAT A PROPHET (ELIJAH) IS TO COME

"Prophecy must be fulfilled. The Lord says: 'Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord' {Mal. 4:5}. Somebody is to come {future tense--sometime after 1890} in the spirit and power of Elijah, and when he (a male person--Mal. 4:6} appears, men may say: 'You are too earnest, you do not interpret the Scriptures in the proper way. Let me tell you how to teach your message'."--Testimonies to Ministers, pg. 475:3 (bold emphasis, braces added).

Since Sis. White began her ministry in 1844 and wrote in 1890 that Elijah "is to come" in the future, then she could not have been that Elijah. The Lord proved this when He said: "And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time." (Judges 4:4). Did you notice that God's Word did not say that Deborah was a "prophet," a "husband" and a "he"? Why? because the Lord always refers to a male person as a "he" and a "prophet;" whereas He always refers to a female person (such as Deborah) as a "she" and a "prophetess"! And that is the reason why Malachi said that "Elijah the prophet" (Mal. 4:5) is to be a male person "he" (Mal. 4:6), as the first Elijah--John the baptist was a "he" (Mt. 3:1-3). This irrefutable fact proves, then, that Sis. White was not referring to herself as Elijah, but to a "somebody" who "is to come" after her day.

It was in 1929 that God chose a man (Bro. Victor T. Houteff), who was a Sabbath-School teacher in the Seventh-day Adventist church in Los Angeles, California, to be the one "to come in the spirit and power of Elijah" (T.M. 475:3)--the last prophet. In 1935 he moved to Waco, Texas and set up God's Headquarters there, which he named Mt. Carmel Center.

ELIJAH SHUT THE DOOR TO HIS PROPHETIC OFFICE

In his literature (which he named The Shepherd's Rod) he stated emphatically that he came in the spirit and power of Elijah (G.C.S. 31,32), who was the last prophet (Mal. 4:5) before Christ's second advent, as John the Baptist was the last prophet before Christ's first advent. And as John died, so he knew that he was to die. The reason why his emphatic statement about Elijah being the last prophet is irrefutable, is because Christ cannot come again if He is to send another prophet. That is, if Elijah did not say he was the last prophet, then the door of his prophetic office would still be open today. And that would mean Christ is yet to send another prophet, and that He could not come until after that prophet has appeared to teach his truth and do his work. Since, however, Bro. V.T. Houteff shut the door to the prophetic office of prophets and said that he (Elijah) was the last prophet, then it is certain that Christ will come soon, in spite of the false prophets that has arisen among the Davidians.

Furthermore, it was not the prophetess of the Seventh-day Adventist church (Sis. E.G. White) who shut the prophetic door, because the Lord inspired her to predict in her writings that Elijah the prophet was to come to their church (T.M. 475:3). And when that Elijah (Bro. V.T. Houteff) appeared in 1929, he was the only true prophet in the entire Bible that ever said he was the last prophet (G.C.S. 23,24). Even Malachi, the last prophet in the Old Testament Jewish era, said Elijah the prophet was yet to come (Mal. 4:5). Those Davidians, however, who deny that Elijah (Bro. V.T. Houteff) is the last prophet and exalt themselves as prophets, are saying that Christ is not to come soon, because they are falsely claiming to have opened the door for prophets to come (which Elijah shut). And the devil, the one who raised up these usurpers, is not going to tell them to shut the door, but keep it open so that Jesus can never come again. In fact, Satan would raise up false prophets for eternity, if that would keep Jesus from coming again.

WHY IS ELIJAH THE LAST PROPHET?

When Jesus was on the earth at His first advent, He warned His Christian followers to "beware of false prophets" (Mt. 7:15). This warning has protected the saints from deception for nearly two thousand years; and that is the reason why He said the false prophets cannot "deceive the very elect" (Mt. 24:24). And even though these four words, "beware of false prophets," are simple in meaning, they have been misunderstood by millions of professed Christians. And that it the reason why they have been fooled by the false prophets for nearly two thousand years years even until today in the latter days, in the time of the last "candlestick" (Rev. 3:14) Laodicea--the Seventh-day Adventist church. Yet, the great majority of these Christians, like all the millions of others, have been deceived by false prophets because of this most obvious reason: They think Jesus said to beware of all prophets!

This means that when Jesus sent Elijah the last prophet to the Seventh-day Adventist church, they misjudged him to be a false prophet which they are to beware of, and rejected his message of The Shepherd's Rod. But some did accept him as Elijah the last prophet and became Davidians and accepted his message. Among them are some who deny this fact and try to open the prophetic door by claiming that they are prophets; they are identified as "usurpers" (1 T.G. 14:22:0). Their false claim to be prophets with a message of truth is the devil's attempt to deceive the saints into disbelieving the soon coming of Jesus the second time. But the fact that Jesus sent Elijah His last prophet, proves irrefutably that He is to come soon. And that is the reason why Elijah has told the saints that he is the last prophet with the last message; which shut the door to the prophetic office of a prophet or prophetess, so that the Davidian saints would beware of the false prophets (Mt. 7:15) and be prepared for the second coming of Christ.

ONLY SAFETY FOR DAVIDIANS IS ELIJAH THE LAST PROPHET

"...John {the Baptist} was not in any sense of the word fulfilling the mission of the Elijah who is to come before the great and dreadful day of the Lord, but that he, the last prophet to the church of his day, simply came in the spirit and power of Elijah, to prepare the way for the Lord's first advent. So it is that the Elijah of the great and dreadful day of the Lord {Bro. V.T. Houteff}, the last prophet to the church of this day, comes in the same spirit and power, to prepare the way for the Lord's second advent."--General Conference Special, pgs. 31, 32 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"Nevertheless, one's {Davidians} only safety will be in the teaching of Elijah {the last prophet--Bro. V.T. Houteff}, for there will be no other voice of timely Truth and authority to whom one may turn. Any others {Davidian usurpers--false prophets} will lead their victims blind-folded into perdition."--General Conference Special, pg. 8:0 (bold emphasis, braces added).

Let all true Davidians not only beware of the false prophet "usurpers" (1 T.G. 14:22:0), but let them also accept Bro. V.T. Houteff as Elijah the last prophet, and study his message of The Shepherd's Rod to learn about the last day events that are to transpire before Jesus appears the second time.