Tag Archives: miracles

The Work of Elijah

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Elijah was a leading prophet of the Old Testament. Through Elijah God worked some powerful and astounding miracles. His was a mission aimed at revealing who is the true God, and turning the hearts of the people to his worship, to the extent they were willing.

Malachi prophesied that Elijah would be sent before “the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” (Malachi 4:5). Some thought John the Baptist might be Elijah having reappeared on the earth, but he denied that he was Elijah. Yet it had been prophesied that John the Baptist would go “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17).

Many since have come proclaiming themselves, or identifying some other contemporary person, as Elijah, and in some cases have insisted that their proclamations must be believed as a condition for baptism.

In this message, “The Work of Elijah,” we focus on Elijah’s ministry, or his work, and how it relates to other statements in the Bible concerning Elijah, and the fulfillment of prophecies leading to the end of this age.

“The Work of Elijah,” by Rod Reynolds, COGMessenger is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Can You Believe What the Bible Says About Jesus?

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After Jesus died and was resurrected, according to the testimony of John, on the first afternoon following his resurrection he appeared to his close disciples, including the eleven who were to be sent out as apostles.

“Then, the same day at evening [or afternoon, as it could be translated], being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord” (John 20:19-20).

However, when Jesus appeared in the room where they were gathered, one of the eleven was absent.

“Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ So he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.’ And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, ‘Peace to you!’ Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.’ And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’“ (John 20:24-29).

Some have assumed from this example that believing in Christ without evidence is praiseworthy. Does God want us to have blind faith, faith without evidence?

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