Was
This Man The Eliyah To Come?
Not All Who Preach Yahweh's Word Faithfully
Come in the Spirit and Power of Eliyah
Now, just because someone preaches the word of Yahweh faithfully, including his covenant and law, does that automatically make him an Eliyah? Does that automatically mean that he is doing his works in the spirit and power of Eliyah?
After the time of the original Eliyah Scripture mentions two individuals who did indeed have the spirit and power of Eliyah. The first was Elisha, who succeeded Eliyah as prophet standing before Yahweh. The second was Yahchanan, who prepared the way before the first coming of the messenger of the covenant, Yah'shuah the Messiah.
In between the times of these two prophets there were other prophets whom Yahweh sent to his people Yisrael. Yet these other prophets of Yahweh are not said to have come in the spirit and power of Eliyah. Even Elisha, whom Yahweh had already instructed Eliyah to anoint as prophet in his place, was not guaranteed to have the spirit and power of Eliyah. It is only because Yahweh granted him his specific request that he did indeed have the spirit and power of Eliyah. It therefore appears that it is not a small matter for a prophet to come in the spirit and power of Eliyah. For, remembering Eliyah's words to Elisha when Elisha made the request, Eliyah answered him that he had asked a difficult thing, whose granting was not guaranteed. Nevertheless if he saw Eliyah's departure when Eliyah was taken from him his request was to be granted him. Therefore, even among Yahweh's prophets, there are only two who have been named as having come in the spirit and power of Eliyah, other than Eliyah himself.
Herbert W. Armstrong Was
Not the Eliyah to Come
Now, in recent times, there have been those who have claimed to have come in the spirit and power of Eliyah. In the mid-1980s, when I was fellowshipping in the Worldwide Church of God, it was taught that the pastor-general of that church, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, was the Eliyah to come before the return of Yah'shuah the Messiah. I accepted this teaching that I had been taught.
Was it true that Yahweh had indeed sent Mr. Armstrong in the spirit and power of Eliyah? Or was this teaching one that had originated with men?
Those who have examined the works undertaken by Mr. Armstrong have noted that he did indeed teach Yahweh's law and covenant. Nevertheless, it has also been noted that he did not teach all of it. It has also been noted that he also taught commandments of men, some contrary to the commandments of Yahweh, teaching as the fear of Yahweh these human commandments. It has also been noted that he made many prophecies of various events that were to take place, including specifying dates for the fulfilment of these events he prophesied. It is noted that his words fell to the ground, in that these prophecies were not fulfilled!
Comparing the works of Mr. Armstrong, and those undertaken by the three men shown in the scriptures to have come in the spirit and power of Eliyah, it is seen that Mr. Armstrong does NOT measure up to them. For the Eliyahs spoken of in the scriptures taught all of Yahweh's law and covenant. And none of Yahweh's words spoken by these Eliyahs fell to the ground. All that were to be fulfilled in their time have indeed been fulfilled. None fell to the ground. Also, these Eliyahs did not teach the fear of Yahweh to be commandments of men, thereby causing the heart of the people not to be near Yahweh. They taught only Yahweh's commandments, their works having been done at Yahweh's word, and not originating with their own thoughts.
It therefore appears that Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong was indeed NOT an Eliyah. It appears that Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong DID NOT come in the spirit and power of Eliyah! (For a scriptural analysis of Herbert W. Armstrong please read the article Herbert W. Armstrong - A Scriptural Analysis available at http://www.ServeYahweh.org/Articles/Armstrong.htm.)
I Was Wrong to Say that
Herbert W. Armstrong Was the Eliyah to Come
Now, on the night of 1st/2nd September 1986 I had been studying the scriptures, Mishle (Proverbs) 31 to be specific. In my study I learned that Yahweh shows no partiality between men and women, just as he shows no partiality between Yisraelites and the Goyim (nations). Taking a break from Mishle 31 my eyes turned to look at a picture of Mr. Armstrong on the cover of a Worldwide Church of God publication. The following words were put into my mind by, I believe, the Spirit of Yahweh: "Elijah truly shall restore all things."
I then recollected the Worldwide Church of God
teachings that I had been taught. I remember thinking about the two
And seeing that the Spirit had put in my mind the words "Elijah truly shall restore all things," I thought that Mr. Armstrong was indeed confirmed as the Eliyah to come, who was to restore all things! I subsequently prayed to the Mighty One, later that night, thanking him for showing me that Mr. Armstrong was indeed the Eliyah to come, and that "Elijah truly shall restore all things."
In light of the examination made above concerning the works undertaken by the three Eliyahs spoken of in the scriptures it is evident that Mr. Armstrong was NOT SENT in the spirit and power of Eliyah. It is therefore also evident that I WAS WRONG to think, as did the Worldwide Church of God, that Mr. Armstrong was indeed the Eliyah to come, who would restore all things!
WHERE did I go wrong in thinking that Mr. Armstrong was the Eliyah to come?
1 Shemuel 16: 1-13 reads, "16:1Yahweh said to Shemu'el, 'How long will you mourn for Sha'ul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Yisra'el? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Yishai the Beit-Hallachmite; for I have provided me a king among his sons.' 16:2Shemu'el said, 'How can I go? If Sha'ul hears it, he will kill me.' Yahweh said, 'Take a heifer with you, and say, "I am come to sacrifice to Yahweh." 16:3Call Yishai to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint to me him whom I name to you.' 16:4Shemu'el did that which Yahweh spoke, and came to Beit-Lechem. The Zakenim of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, 'Come you peaceably?' 16:5He said, 'Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.' He sanctified Yishai and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. 16:6It happened, when they had come, that he looked at Eli'av, and said, 'Surely Yahweh's anointed is before him.' 16:7But Yahweh said to Shemu'el, 'Don't look on his face, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him. For Yahweh sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart.' 16:8Then Yishai called Avinadav, and made him pass before Shemu'el. He said, 'Neither has Yahweh chosen this.' 16:9Then Yishai made Shammah to pass by. He said, 'Neither has Yahweh chosen this.' 16:10Yishai made seven of his sons to pass before Shemu'el. Shemu'el said to Yishai, 'Yahweh has not chosen these.' 16:11Shemu'el said to Yishai, 'Are all your children here?' He said, 'There remains yet the youngest, and, behold, he is keeping the sheep.' Shemu'el said to Yishai, 'Send and get him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.' 16:12He sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful face, and goodly to look on. Yahweh said, 'Arise, anoint him; for this is he.' 16:13Then Shemu'el took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of Yahweh came mightily on David from that day forward. So Shemu'el rose up, and went to Ramah."
It should be noted from 1 Shemuel 16: 6 that Yahweh informed us of a distinction between himself and man. For man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart.
In my case, in my acceptance of the teachings I received from the Worldwide Church of God, I look at the outward appearance. For I looked at the three colleges Mr. Armstrong had set up, the large circulation of the magazine Mr. Armstrong had set up, the numerous radio and television stations from which Mr. Armstrong's message was broadcast to various listeners and viewers, his numerous frequent visits to various world political leaders, and the like. These were the outward appearances that I looked at. These were what I used to accept the testimony that Mr. Armstrong had been sent by the Mighty One in the spirit and power of Eliyah.
But Yahweh has shown that looking at outward appearances is NOT the manner we are to assess people with respect to the performance of his will. Looking at the outward appearance is NOT the manner we are to assess whether one is or is not his servant.
Seeing that I had based my thoughts and comments that Mr. Armstrong was the Eliyah to come on outward appearance, I was bound to be as wrong as other men are. I was bound to be as wrong as even Shemuel the seer, when he erroneously thought that Eliav was Yahweh's anointed.
The lesson of 1 Shemuel 16: 6 is one that I needed to learn. Yahweh does not see as man sees. Man looks on the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks on the heart.
When I realised my error, several years later, I went back to Yahweh in prayer and in repentance. For I had spoken what was not right. And I had spoken what was not right, and said that he showed it to me through his Spirit. I had therefore associated his Spirit with what was not right, using my own human way of observation and assessment, and attributing it to the Spirit of Yahweh. I had spoken error!
I asked Yahweh to forgive me. Knowing Yahweh's tender mercy, and knowing that I had not blasphemed Yahweh or his Spirit, I also knew that he forgave my sin.
Why Didn't Yahweh
Immediately Inform Me of My Error?
Now, in Shemuel's case Yahweh immediately informed him that what he thought or said, that Eliav was Yahweh's anointed, was not correct. Shemuel had made an error. For Shemuel thought that Yahweh's anointed was Eliav, seeing that Yahweh had told him that one of Yishai's sons was the one he had selected to be king in Shaul's stead.
One may ask: why didn't Yahweh correct me immediately I made my error, when I thought that Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong was the Eliyah to come, and prayed to him such a prayer, thanking him for so showing me? Why did he allow me to compound on the error in my mind, by allowing me to utter to others that he had showed me that Mr. Armstrong was the Eliyah to come?
I say, Yahweh knows! Yahweh knows!
In Shemuel's case one may also ask: why did not Yahweh simply name David to Shemuel, when he informed Shemuel that he had provided himself a king among Yishai's sons? He could easily have done so, even as he later named Elisha to Eliyah. But he did not. Why?
Might it be because Yahweh knew that Shemuel assessed matters in the manner of other human beings? And knowing Eliav's appearance, did not Yahweh know that Shemuel would indeed think that Eliav was Yahweh's anointed, even though he had not chosen Eliav? And knowing that Shemuel was going to make this error, why did he allow Shemuel to make the error?
Might the reason Yahweh allowed Shemuel to make the error that he did have been for the benefit of Yahweh teaching us how we ought to make assessment in such matters? For it is when Shemuel made the error of thinking or saying that Eliav was Yahweh's anointed that Yahweh taught Shemuel, and the rest of us, that he does not see the way man sees. For man looks to the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks to the heart. In other words, it appears that a reason why Yahweh allowed Shemuel to make this error was for the purpose of teaching us how to make assessment in such matters. Teaching us not to make assessment in such matters in the manner man does, but to do so in the manner Yahweh does.
In my case why did Yahweh allow me to believe the error for so long, several years? What lesson am I to learn from this experience?
Yahweh knows why he allowed me to believe this error for several years. Also, I hope I have learned not to look at the outward appearance in making assessment of those who are or are not Yahweh's servants. For it is to the heart that we ought to look, and not to outward appearances.
Also, in the case of the last scriptural Eliyah, Yahchanan the Baptizer, it should be remembered, from Yahchanan 10: 40, that he "did no sign"! In other words, if one was using outward appearance to make assessment whether Yahchanan was indeed a servant of Yahweh, or whether Yahchanan had indeed come in the spirit and power of Eliyah, one would have concluded erroneously! For one would have concluded that as Yahchanan did no sign, he was not a servant of Yahweh and he was not undertaking his works by the spirit and power of Eliyah. Nevertheless, both Gavriel and Yah'shuah attested that Yahchanan indeed was the Eliyah to come, the one who came before the messenger of the covenant in the spirit and power of Eliyah.
It should therefore be noted that making assessment of Yahweh's servants in a humanly manner, looking to outward appearances, rather than to those qualities that Yahweh informs us we ought to look at, will inevitably lead us to making the wrong assessment! This is an important lesson we all ought to learn, especially in these last days that Yah'shuah prophesied that many false messiahs and false prophets would indeed arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the very elect (Mattityahu 24: 24).
We all should therefore be on guard concerning the correct method of assessing servants of Yahweh. It is not by outward appearances. It is by applying the tests that Yahweh has informed us we ought to apply.
And with respect to the Eliyah to come, the person to come in the spirit and power of Eliyah before the coming of the messenger of the covenant, Yah'shuah the Messiah, the works undertaken by the previous Eliyahs should guide us in making such an assessment. For the Eliyahs who came turned the hearts of the people away from various abominations, and turned their hearts to Yahweh the Mighty One. They showed the people that Yahweh indeed was the Mighty One who is to be followed and clung to. They did the various works that they did at Yahweh's command, and not on the authority of their own thoughts. They preached Yahweh's word in entirety, including his covenant and law. They preached Yahweh's truth, justice, righteousness and mercy. They did not preach smooth things to people, to encourage them to continue in their iniquities. Rather they preached the word that Yahweh gave them to preach. And none of Yahweh's words by their mouths fell to the ground, for all whose time for fulfilment came were indeed fulfilled!
It should also be noted that unless Yahweh directly reveals to us that a particular servant of his is indeed working the works he has given him by the spirit and power of Eliyah we will not know! For had not Yahweh revealed that Yahchanan was the Eliyah to come, revealing this by Gavriel and Yah'shuah, how would we have known? Therefore, if Yahweh does not reveal to us by a servant of his, or by his Spirit, we will not know whether a particular servant of his is undertaking the works he has given him by the spirit and power of Eliyah. Unless Yahweh reveals it to us we will not know whether a particular servant of his is indeed the Eliyah to come!
So who is the Eliyah to come before Yah'shuah's coming in power and glory?
Yahweh knows! And we too will know when Yahweh reveals it to us.
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© 1998, Isaac Aluochier, All rights reserved. Published by Servants of Yahweh, P O Box 44848, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya. E-mail: servantsofyahweh@serveyahweh.org. Permission is hereby GRANTED to reproduce this and other publications in the Servants of Yahweh web site, http://www.serveyahweh.org, unless otherwise stated.