Mar 9:9-10 | KingComments | STEP | The stay on the mountain has come to an end. The time comes for the disciples to descend from the mountain again with the Lord. This is often the case in the life of the believer. After special moments of fellowship with Christ, the feeling of being elevated from the earth and forgetting everything for a moment, comes the moment when daily life demands attention again. The Lord tells His disciples that they may only give the testimony of what they have seen when He has risen from the dead. They also only understood after His resurrection, when they have received the Holy Spirit ( ; ). Now they hold on to the word He said about His death and resurrection because they do not understand it. That is a good thing. So we must hold all the words of the Lord Jesus, even the words we do not understand. They speak to each other about it. That too is an example for us. It is good to speak to each other about what Christ said. They do not ask Him for an answer about what He said about “rising from the dead”. Their preoccupation with what He has said brings them to the question of the coming of Elijah, which they have heard the scribes speak of. They know that the coming of Christ in power, of which they have just had a foretaste on the mountain, will be preceded by the coming of Elijah. They know the Lord Jesus and have accepted Him as the Messiah. They have also just seen Elijah and they know Malachi’s prophecy about him. At the same time, their question makes it clear that they do not include the rejection and death of Christ in their thinking about His coming in power. In His reply, He connects that to it. He tells the disciples that the scribes are right that Elijah comes first and restores everything. They know this from Malachi 4 ( ). It doesn’t mean Elijah will come in person, but someone with the typical characteristics of his service. Malachi speaks about the relationship between fathers and children. As has been mentioned, we see an example of this in the following history. But the Lord Jesus says that there is more written that also has to be fulfilled. This concerns His suffering and rejection, His being “treated with contempt”. Surely they should know that too? The scribes do not want to talk about it, nor do the disciples want to hear about it, but He makes it clear that there is no other way. He adds that Elijah has even come, that is, someone in the spirit and power of Elijah. This is John the baptist ( ; ). But the religious leaders did not listen to John. When he was captured, they did not do their best to release him. They did not mourn his death. They and the people will also reject Him of Whom John was the forerunner. This means Elijah must come another time. We will see that happen at the second coming of the Lord Jesus. In one of the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11, we recognize someone acting in the spirit and power of Elijah ( ; cf. ).

‏ Mark 9:9-10

Elijah Must Come First

The stay on the mountain has come to an end. The time comes for the disciples to descend from the mountain again with the Lord. This is often the case in the life of the believer. After special moments of fellowship with Christ, the feeling of being elevated from the earth and forgetting everything for a moment, comes the moment when daily life demands attention again.

The Lord tells His disciples that they may only give the testimony of what they have seen when He has risen from the dead. They also only understood after His resurrection, when they have received the Holy Spirit (Jn 16:12-15; 2Pet 1:16-18). Now they hold on to the word He said about His death and resurrection because they do not understand it. That is a good thing. So we must hold all the words of the Lord Jesus, even the words we do not understand. They speak to each other about it. That too is an example for us. It is good to speak to each other about what Christ said.

They do not ask Him for an answer about what He said about “rising from the dead”. Their preoccupation with what He has said brings them to the question of the coming of Elijah, which they have heard the scribes speak of. They know that the coming of Christ in power, of which they have just had a foretaste on the mountain, will be preceded by the coming of Elijah. They know the Lord Jesus and have accepted Him as the Messiah. They have also just seen Elijah and they know Malachi’s prophecy about him. At the same time, their question makes it clear that they do not include the rejection and death of Christ in their thinking about His coming in power. In His reply, He connects that to it.

He tells the disciples that the scribes are right that Elijah comes first and restores everything. They know this from Malachi 4 (Mal 4:5-6). It doesn’t mean Elijah will come in person, but someone with the typical characteristics of his service. Malachi speaks about the relationship between fathers and children. As has been mentioned, we see an example of this in the following history. But the Lord Jesus says that there is more written that also has to be fulfilled. This concerns His suffering and rejection, His being “treated with contempt”. Surely they should know that too? The scribes do not want to talk about it, nor do the disciples want to hear about it, but He makes it clear that there is no other way.

He adds that Elijah has even come, that is, someone in the spirit and power of Elijah. This is John the baptist (Mt 11:13-14; Lk 1:17). But the religious leaders did not listen to John. When he was captured, they did not do their best to release him. They did not mourn his death. They and the people will also reject Him of Whom John was the forerunner. This means Elijah must come another time. We will see that happen at the second coming of the Lord Jesus. In one of the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11, we recognize someone acting in the spirit and power of Elijah (Rev 11:5; cf. 2Kgs 1:10).