In this month’s Article of the Month, The End-Time Seal, I stated that we’re living right now in the time between verses 13 and 14 of Revelation 6. That is the period that begins after the last of the sixth seal’s fulfilled prophecies and that ends with Jesus’ second coming.

I mentioned that during this interim period, there were other end-time prophecies to be fulfilled; most notably the enforcement of the “mark of the beast” and the Great Tribulation’s seven last plagues.

In this post, I’m adding another prophecy that will be noticed. It’s the return of Elijah the prophet. It was first prophesied in Malachi 4: 5, 6.

“Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”

Now when I say Elijah will return, I’m of course speaking symbolically. I don’t believe, as some do, that the literal Elijah will appear; nor that maybe he’ll be reincarnated.

I believe that the Elijah prophecy is about a tremendously, powerful, Holy Spirit anointing. Here’s why—and the reason will also clear up a seemingly apparent scriptural contradiction.

Jesus told His followers that, though unrecognizable, Elijah was already on the scene. After more discussion, the disciples finally understood what Jesus was saying—that John the Baptist was Elijah (Matthew 17: 12, 13). What is baffling is that John denies that he is Elijah (John 1: 21).

The mystery of the contrasting verses is solved in a prophecy about John, which predated his birth:

“And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”  Luke 1: 16, 17

Jesus wasn’t saying that John was actually Elijah. He was speaking of John’s ministry; that his works were in the spirit and power of Elijah.

In the same way, I believe that just prior to Jesus’ return, there will be a major movement to reach and prepare all of earth’s inhabitants for the great day of the Lord.

Whether it will be an individual or a one-minded body of believers (most likely), we’ll know it when we see it. The earth will reverberate with Elijah’s message of repentance like never before.