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The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

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question after <strong>the</strong> goal <strong>and</strong> warrant <strong>of</strong> his mission.<br />

Hence also John's disavowing <strong>of</strong> such claims is<br />

not satisfactorily accounted for by <strong>the</strong> common exjdanation,<br />

that he denied being Elijah in <strong>the</strong> sense<br />

<strong>of</strong> not being what <strong>the</strong> Jews expected <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Forerunner <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Messiah</strong>: <strong>the</strong> real, identical<br />

Elijah <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> days <strong>of</strong> Ahab; or else, that he denied<br />

being such in <strong>the</strong> sense <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> peculiar Jewish<br />

hopes attaching to his reappearance in ^ <strong>the</strong> last<br />

days.' <strong>The</strong>re is much deeper truth in <strong>the</strong> disclaimer<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Baptist. It was, indeed, true that, as foretold<br />

in <strong>the</strong><br />

St.LukeL Angelic announcement,* he was s^nt 'in<br />

<strong>the</strong> spirit <strong>and</strong> power <strong>of</strong> Elias,' that is, with <strong>the</strong><br />

same object <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> same qualifications. Similarly,<br />

it is true what, in His mournful retrospect <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

result <strong>of</strong> John's mission, <strong>and</strong> in <strong>the</strong> prospect <strong>of</strong> His<br />

own end, <strong>the</strong> Saviour said <strong>of</strong> him: * Elias is indeed<br />

come,' but * <strong>the</strong>y knew him not, but have done<br />

stMarkir. unto him whatsoever <strong>the</strong>y listed.' ^ But<br />

on this very recognition <strong>and</strong>

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