For the past 2000 years the good news of this redemption has gone out to all nations, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, so that all the sheep may be found and gathered together. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me," Jesus declared (John 10:27) And as each of us awaken in our own time and century, slowly but surely the family is being restored. And when all the Gentiles have come in, and the hardening on Judah's heart is softened, then all Israel will be saved (Rom 11:25,26). And the Kingdom will come.

            "'Therefore behold, the days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when they will no longer say, 'As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt,' but, 'As the Lord lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north land and from all the countries where I had driven them.' Then they will live on their own soil." (Jer. 23:7,8)

            In the last verse of the last book of the Old Testament there is a remarkable prophecy that I believe addresses all that I have been speaking of here. It reads: "See I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will restore (or turn) the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse." (Malachi 4:6).

            The reference to "Elijah" doesn't automatically mean the prophet himself will be resurrected. In fact, we learn in the New Testament that this prophecy was partially fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist. For according to the words of the angel who announced his birth to his father, Zechariah, "He will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous - to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Luke 1:17). In other words, the same ministry of the Holy Spirit that empowered Elijah would empower John the Baptist. Jesus also confirmed that John was the fulfillment of Malachi's prophecy (see Matt. 11:14.). But Jesus also indicated that there would be yet another manifestation of this "Elijah" ministry in the future (see Matt. 17:9-14). That is, "Elijah" will come again in the last of the last days to prepare His people for the restoration of all things before the Day of the Lord. This would agree with the words spoken by Peter in Acts 3:21. It also parallels the symbolic message of the early and latter "rains" in Israel which speak of two outpourings of God's Spirit - early and late - in order to bring forth God's final harvest. So this coming ministry of the Spirit of Elijah will call the nation to repentance once again in preparation for the final restoration of the Israel of God!

            Now I want you to notice something in the angel's prophecy concerning John. Part of the original Malachi prophecy is missing. The first part about restoring the father's hearts to their children is readily ascribed to John's ministry. But the second part about the hearts of the children being turned to "their fathers" is missing. It has been replaced by the phrase about turning "the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous." Now I believe this is significant and can be understood in this way.

            First, I believe this language about restoring the hearts of the fathers to the children and vice versa, is talking about more than just the restoration of affections within the natural family. Although that is no doubt true also. But every prophecy in the Word of God is like a beautiful diamond. There is always another fascinating understanding to be gained as you study it under the penetrating light of the Spirit. So I believe that this prophecy is also talking about the restoration of the "children of Israel" to their spiritual forefathers - i.e. the patriarchs of Israel, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the prophets. As Isaiah proclaimed, "Here am I, and the children that the Lord has given me." (Isa. 8:18). And those children, as Hebrews 2:13-3:1 affirms, include all the chosen descendants found in Jesus Christ. Those who are "far off and those who are near." (Eph. 2:17). Those "far off," as I indicated earlier, would be the non-Jewish descendants - who became known as "Christians." Those who are "near" would be the Jewish believers.

            It seems John the Baptist's ministry focused primarily on the first half of this promise: restoring or turning the father's hearts to their children. I believe the word "turning" does not have to be limited to implying the forefather's hearts were cold to their children and needed to be reheated. Within the context of what I am saying that would not make much sense - the patriarchs having long entered their rest. But rather, I believe, it suggests that the same righteous spiritual condition evident in the patriarch's hearts would be "restored" or imparted to the children. The father's spirituality would now become the inheritance of their physical descendants. This spiritual awakening among the children would be ushered in through their response to John's cry for them to "repent." Now we know John ministered primarily to the Jews, the children of Judah. It's not clear if he also ministered to those children who were "far off" among the gentiles. The Samaritans, who have long been regarded as physical descendants of Ephraim, also lived in the area and may have responded to his message. I just find no evidence of that. But even if his congregation was made up only of "Jews," the good news about Jesus eventually did go forth from Jerusalem to Samaria to the uttermost parts of the earth. The godly faith of the fathers of Israel was restored, first to the Jews, and then to those of us who were "far off" through the preaching of the gospel of the Jewish disciples. And we all responded as the prophecy about John's ministry declared we would - "the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous."

            But it is the second part of the Malachi prophecy that I want to turn our attention to now. The part that declared that the children's hearts must also be turned towards their fathers. Since this part is not mentioned as such with regard to John's ministry, I must conclude it will be a major emphasis of the future move of God's Elijah Spirit ministry. Which brings me back to my opening remarks of these 'Reflections."

            It was my response to Ezekiel 36:38 that sparked the whole revelation being discussed in these pages. That Scripture, again, states: "And you shall dwell in the land which I gave to your forefathers; and you shall be My people, and I will be your God." It was "hearing" the Spirit say to me that the forefathers of Israel were my fathers too, that drew me into discovering the truth about my "Jewish roots." In other words, this child's heart was turned to identify with the fathers of Israel, not just for their spirituality alone, but as family. As mishpochah! This is a necessary factor for those of us who were "far off." In receiving this revelation I was able to come home. I now fully understood who I was. Not just who I was spiritually in relation to God, which is certainly primary, but who I am on this earth also. I was a long lost descendant of Abraham who had been found and grafted back into the family tree through faith in Messiah Jesus. I now had a homeland. A people. And a glorious future expressed in over 700 prophetic promises of restoration, which I am now poised to receive.

            If my understanding about all this is correct, then it means we are now at the dawning of the "great and dreadful Day of the Lord." "Great" because it will bring brightness and blessing and glorious restoration to His people. "Dreadful" because it will bring doom and gloom to those who have rejected the mercy of God through Jesus Christ. (See 2 Thessalonians 2; Joel 3:14-16.) It tells me that the latter-rain ministry of "Elijah" has already begun to go forth to prepare a worldwide awakening among Christians and Jews (and those still lost among the gentiles). The Christians awakening to their biological connection to the patriarchs of Israel and their fellow Jewish believers, as well as their inheritance in the land. And the Jews awakening to, first, their spiritual inheritance in Messiah Jesus, and then the fact that we "Christians" are not Gentiles, but blood brothers. Just as the eleven sons of Jacob were amazed to discover that the Egyptian ruler was none other than their flesh-and-blood brother, Joseph. All setting the stage for a second exodus from the nations to become one nation under God again.

            "The people of Judah and the people of Israel will be reunited, and they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel." (Hos. 1:11)

            "Thus says the Lord, 'Behold I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand. And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. And say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God, 'Behold I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations, and they will no longer be divided into two kingdoms.'"(Ezek. 37:21,22)

            Jesus said only the Father knows for sure the exact timing of this great ingathering and the conclusion of this age. Nevertheless, as the parable of the fig tree instructs us in Mark 13:23, we are told to be alert and recognize the season. Therefore, let me just suggest that I believe it'll probably take place around a not-too-distant Feast of Tabernacles. Another name for this feast is the Feast of Ingathering (also Succoth), which is a pretty big clue. That celebration occurs in the Jewish calendar around September/October and incorporates the preliminary feasts of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement (which may be the time a corporate spiritual cleansing will occur to remove all spots and wrinkles from the bride).

            I tie the re-gathering of Israel to the major biblical feast day of Tabernacles because it is the only one of Israel's three "pilgrim feasts" that hasn't had a New Testament fulfillment yet. Passover was fulfilled on the actual feast of Passover in Israel with the death and resurrection of Jesus. Pentecost was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost in Israel with the coming of the Holy Spirit. I'm sure Tabernacles awaits its fulfillment in Israel at the very time of its traditional celebration as well. Scripture also speaks of other things occurring at this time. Such as Armageddon (will we become the bait that draws the world forces of darkness to attack Israel?). The rise of anti-christ (if we are the Body of Christ, is the false church the body of anti-christ?). The glorification and physical transformation of our bodies and the revealing of the Lord Jesus ("Christ in you, the hope of glory"). I'm sure in the days ahead we will be given more and more revelation about them all. As well as answers to the myriad of questions this line of prophetic teaching raises.

            I will close with this final insight from the Book of Hebrews. Remember that the entire older generation that came out of Egypt - except for Joshua and Caleb - never made it into the Promised Land. Why? We are told that "unbelief" was their undoing. They couldn't trust the God who brought them out to bring them in and defeat their enemies. Consequently, they died in the wilderness. Only those who were under 20 at the time of the Exodus finally made it in. But as the Book of Hebrews reveals, even that generation did not truly enter the promised rest under Joshua. "For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the example of disobedience'" (Heb. 4:8-11).

            I believe the "day" for entering the promised rest, which God had postponed to some future date, is now upon us. That we are the generation chosen to finally enter and receive the inheritance. Let us be wiser than our unfortunate forefathers who came out of Egypt 3400 years ago and could not enter in because of unbelief. The Lord's word of admonition still applies. "Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." (Heb. 4:7)

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