"Looking for Elijah--Too Late"

 

Matthew 27:49: The rest said, Let Him alone, let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.

While there was much unbelief exhibited among those around the Cross, there is this one verse that indicates that at least one person was interested in seeing if Scripture would be fulfilled that day.

In Malachi 4--the last words of the Old Testament--we have a rather detailed prediction that Elijah the prophet would be sent before the coming of the Lord. Elijah was to announce the Messiah's arrival.

John the Baptist was a type of Elijah as it says in Luke 1:17. In that passage, it says that John the Baptist would speak in the spirit and power of Elijah, and would turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and to prepare people for the Lord's coming. This John the Baptist did. However, John the Baptist denied that he was Elijah.

We know that the actual Elijah appeared at the Mount of Transfuguration with Moses, and that Elijah might be one of the two witnesses during the Great Tribulation (Rev. 11:1-3). Elijah will have a powerful ministry at that time. The primary reference of Malachi 4 is no doubt the Second Coming of Christ. It speaks of the dreadful day of the Lord, which would have to be the Second Coming. Most commentators believe that this will indeed be the acutal Elijah.

Thus, the comment in Matthew 27:49 reflects the fact that people were well aware of the prophecy of Malachi, yet they were ignorant of the timing of Elijah's appearance. He will prepare the way for the Lord, not be present at the end of Christ's earthly ministry.