Daily Writing

Wednesday, 4 February 2026

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.  Matthew 16:18

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And I also, I say to you that you, you are Peter, and upon this – the Rock – I will build My out-calling, and Hades’ gates, not they will overpower her” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus noted that Simon Bar-Jonah was blessed because it wasn’t flesh and blood that illuminated his proclamation. Rather, it was the Father in heaven who did. He continues, saying, “And I also, I say to you.”

Jesus is going to illuminate more concerning what Peter said, expanding on it to ensure that what was said is highlighted and magnified. With that understanding, Jesus emphatically declares, “that you, you are Peter.”

The name Peter has already been seen and explained. It is a masculine noun, Pétros, meaning rock. It is generally a piece of a rock, like a small rock or stone, found along a path. Jesus continues with, “and upon this – the Rock – I will build.”

The word now is petra, a feminine noun signifying a mass of rock, such as a projecting cliff. HELPS Word Studies, citing Zodhiates, says, “(Pétros) always means a stone . . . such as a man may throw, . . . versus 4073 (pétra), a projecting rock, cliff” (S. Zodhiates, Dict).

Of this difference, Ellicott [et al] says, “it would seem clear that the connection between Peter and the rock (the words in the Greek differ in gender, πέτρος [Pétros] and πέτρα [petra], but were identical in the Aramaic, which our Lord probably used) was meant to be brought into special prominence.”

This conclusion may or may not be correct, but the basis for it is inane. The New Testament is written in Greek, not Aramaic. Therefore, the difference cannot be ignored or downplayed. There is obviously wordplay seen, but a definite distinction is being made between Pétros and petra.

As for what Jesus is talking about, there are several prominent views. One is that He is referring not to Peter, but to his proclamation: “You, You are the Christ, the Son of God, the living.” Others believe Jesus is referring to Himself as the Rock. Still others say that it is, in fact, referring to Peter, but without all of the later-added Roman Catholic baggage that has nothing to do with the simple pronouncement.

Further, what is lacking in Jesus’ words is as telling as what He has stated. Jesus does not simply state, “and upon you I will build…” However, in the coming verse, Jesus will directly speak to Peter with words concerning his position and authority. Therefore, Jesus is not speaking of Peter in His words now.

Letting Scripture interpret Scripture, both testaments tell us who the Rock is. Again and again, in typology and in direct metaphor, the Lord is called the Rock. A couple of the many such examples –

“He is the Rock [tsur], His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.” Deuteronomy 32:4

“The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock [tsur]!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.” Psalm 18:46

In the New Testament, Paul and Peter both refer to Christ in this way –

Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, ² all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³ all ate the same spiritual food, ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock [petra] that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:1-4

Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,
“The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone,”
⁸ and
“A stone of stumbling
And a rock [petra] of offense.” 1 Peter 2:7, 8

As such, the Rock is both the proclamation and the Person. Peter wasn’t speaking about an ethereal concept. He was asked to identify who Jesus was. His proclamation is that of Jesus being the Rock, the Lord Yehovah, who is the Christ, whether Peter realized that or not. Jesus was thinking in human terms, but Scripture, and thus Jesus, is referring to God’s means and mode of redemption.

This is all the more certain because the cornerstone is what Paul refers to as well. It is the setting stone of a foundation –

“For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. ¹⁰ According to the grace of God, which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:9-11

Jesus, probably pointing to Himself, acknowledging Peter’s confession and what it means, said that He is the Rock. God’s building is not set upon Peter. It is set upon Christ. This building is, as Jesus says, “My out-calling.”

It is a new word, ekklésia, an out-calling. It is derived from ek, from or out of, and kaleó, to call. Thus, it is an out-calling, a group of people called out for a particular purpose. This is the group that Paul calls “God’s building” in 1 Corinthians 3:10. Jesus says that His people will be built upon Himself, “and Hades’ gates, not they will overpower her.”

Another new word, katischuó, to overpower, is used. It is an intensification of ischuó, to have or exercise force. The prefix kata, down, thus gives the sense of overpowering. What is Jesus referring to here? Unfortunately, it is often claimed as a tool for effective evangelizing, as if saying, “We have the power to storm hell itself!”

That is great for sermons, but it has nothing to do with the intent. Gates have two purposes. The first is a defensive barrier that can be opened to allow people in. The second is containment, such as when the gates are shut to keep someone from getting out, a spy or a prisoner, perhaps.

The gates of Hades are gates of containment. Hades (Old Testament Sheol) is the place of the dead. It is where all humanity is destined to go, including saved believers at this time. This is made clear time and again in the New Testament. But a day is coming when the Lord’s out-calling will be taken from there, and the victory Jesus refers to now is realized –

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’
⁵⁵ ‘O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?’
⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:50-57

It is true that proclaiming the gospel will change a person’s ultimate destiny, but it is not by our power that Hades’ gates are overcome, but by the power of Jesus, the Subject of the gospel, who had already overpowered Hades’ gates.

Life application: The Roman Catholic coopting of this verse to claim Peter is the first pope and that all popes after him have infallible authority to act and make decrees is utter nonsense. That assumes too much, and it lays hands on that which belongs to God alone.

If Peter were the “rock” spoken of here by Jesus, then it would mean he was the foundation of the church, as they claim. But Peter and Paul laid the same foundation, as noted above. This is then confirmed elsewhere –

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, ²² in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22

The “foundation” here is not speaking of the apostles and prophets, as if they are the foundation. Rather, it refers to their proclamation, which is Jesus. This is exactly what Jesus is referring to in Matthew 16. Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone, which is the basis of the foundation. He is also the entire foundation as proclaimed by God’s messengers.

Sound theology always points to Jesus, not the Roman Catholic Church.

Lord God, thank You for our sure Foundation and Cornerstone, Jesus! We have a Rock, who is faithful and true, upon which our hope is grounded. Nothing, not even the gates of Hades, can separate us from You. Thank You that when we depart, it will not be forever from Your presence. Rather, a day is coming when we will be gathered to You forever. Hallelujah and Amen.

Tuesday, 3 February 2026

Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 16:17

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And Jesus, answering, He said to him, ‘Blessed you are, Simon, Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood not it revealed to you, but My Father, the ‘in the heavens’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Peter said to Jesus that He was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Matthew next records, “And Jesus, answering, He said to him, ‘Blessed you are.’”

This is the first time that Jesus has said such a thing directly to a person. So far, His blessing statements have been general in nature, such as –

^“Blessed – the pure of heart,
For they – God they will see.” Matthew 5:8

His words, then, bear a special highlight that is explained as the verse continues. As for who is blessed, Jesus says, “Simon, Bar-Jonah.”

The name Bar-Jonah means “Son of Jonah,” bar being the Aramaic equivalent of the Hebrew ben. Both mean “son.” The name Jonah is derived from the Hebrew yonah, a dove.

It is the same name as the prophet Jonah. Some translations say, “son of John” instead of “son of Jonah.” The names are interchangeable from the Greek transliteration. But it is likely Jonah is correct for several reasons, including Old Testament typology, of which the Book of Jonah fits nicely in with events from the life of Peter.

Using the father’s name instead of his given name is common in the Bible. Saying a person’s first name signifies general talk. Using the father’s name can be as an honorific, a term of joking familiarity, a term of indifference, a term of contempt, etc.

The context determines which. But it is a way of highlighting the person when speaking to or about him. Jesus continues, “for flesh and blood not it revealed to you.”

The word haima, blood, is introduced here. The word’s origin isn’t certain, but it signifies blood both literally, as in that of people or animals, and figuratively, as in juice, such as grapes. It can be used substantially when referring to Jesus’ atoning blood. Thus, it refers to His bloodshed and, thus, His death.

The meaning of Jesus’ words is that Peter didn’t just hear this from someone or when people were speaking. Nor was it something that was derived from earthly facts that he could put together to conclude that Jesus is the Christ of God. Rather, his deduction was one based on God the Father working through Jesus. That is seen in the next words, “but My Father, the ‘in the heavens’”

In other words, there have been lots of people who have been proclaimed the Messiah throughout the years, but those have all been regular people with no basis for the claim. The Person of Jesus is on an order of magnitude so much greater than any other supposed Messiah. Observing Him and seeing His works, Peter saw and understood that He was revealing God in Christ, nothing less.

Having said that, this doesn’t mean that Peter was under divine inspiration or that he understood that Jesus is God. At this point, his limited view of Jesus was that God was working in Him. That is not contradictory. Jesus had to explicitly say it to him and the other disciples later in His ministry –

“Philip said to Him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.’
Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, “Show us the Father”? ¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. ¹¹ Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.’” John 14:8-11

Despite this clear presentation of Himself, these men still did not understand. Only after the resurrection did the muddied waters of their thinking begin to clear.

Peter has gone as far as his mind could take him at this point concerning who Jesus is. But what he has contemplated is of divine origin as God has revealed Himself through Jesus, whom he and the other disciples have so closely interacted with.

Life application: A noted pastor was speaking on the blood of Jesus. He essentially said, “It isn’t the blood, the substance, that was special but what it signified.” Oh boy, was he barbecued and called a heretic. The know-it-all community pulled out their blood samples from Jesus’ cross and proved that he was wrong.

Obviously, that didn’t happen. Nobody knows what Jesus’ blood is like. The speculation about it could go on and on, but without evidence, we are left with what then must be what is on God’s mind, which is exactly what the preacher was trying to communicate.

In the Bible, blood and life, and thus blood and death, are taken synonymously. One of many such examples is found in Leviticus 17 –

“And whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. ¹¹ For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” Leviticus 17:10, 11

To pour out an animal’s blood was to pour out its life. When Jesus died, He is said to have poured out His soul (Isaiah 53:12), meaning the lifeblood. Thus, it is a direct analogy to death. This is explicit from Deuteronomy 12:23, where the soul is said to be the blood –

“Only you must seize to failure of eating the blood. For the blood, it the soul, and not you will eat the soul with the meat” (CG).

Be sure that the preacher was not teaching heresy. He was making a point about what the blood signifies. Don’t get caught up in every “heresy” accusation that is flung around by people. Think such issues through, and be ready to defend proper theology when someone is in the right.

Glorious God, we thank You for the precious shed blood of Jesus Christ. In His death, we have life everlasting, if we will just accept it as our atonement. We have sinned, and do we ever need a Savior! He has come! Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Monday, 2 February 2026

Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:16

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And answering, Simon Peter, he said, ‘You, You are the Christ, the Son of God, the living’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus, in a question bearing emphasis, asked the disciples who they say He is. A response is given in a similar emphatic form. Matthew begins this statement with, “And answering, Simon Peter, he said.”

Simon Peter is generally the one to step forward and speak for the others. He was a bit impetuous, and he was not sound in backing up his faith at times, such as on the night of Jesus’ crucifixion and at the time when Judaizers had come to Antioch. At that time, he waffled in his convictions, withdrew from the Gentiles, and had to be sharply rebuked by Paul for his stand, as recorded in the book of Galatians.

However, he was able to clearly express his thoughts to Jesus about who the disciples agreed Jesus was, saying, “You, You are the Christ.”

The emphatic “You, You” is given as a response to Jesus’ carefully structured question. The word Christ is the same as the Hebrew mashiakh, Messiah, both of which mean “anointed.” This was both a recurring thing and a unique thing, depending on the situation.

Kings were anointed for their position. The high priest was anointed for his. Even Cyrus is called the Lord’s anointed in Isaiah 45:1. It was as if the Lord had personally anointed Cyrus with oil to accomplish a particular task. These and other examples of anointing meant the person was a messiah, a Christ.

However, Peter’s words were indicative of One on a completely different level. There was to be a particular Messiah who would come, anointed of God, to fulfill a role that none other could fulfill. This Messiah was to be the specific representative of God on earth.

It is true that various scholars and sects had varying opinions about what this would mean, but it was generally agreed within society that One was coming who would be Israel’s redeemer, leading them to a golden “messianic” age where they would lead the nations of the world.

At the time of the Roman Empire, the people thought this Messiah’s role would include casting off the Roman oppression and putting Israel over Rome and all other foes. It is certain that none of them, even these disciples, saw Jesus’ role as One who would die for the sins of the people.

It is equally certain that none of these people actually believed that the Messiah would be God incarnate. He may be a “god” to the people, but not Yehovah in the flesh. This was a totally unknown aspect of who Jesus would be.

And more, they never, in a thousand lifetimes, would have thought that His messiahship would level the field for Gentiles as well as Jews, offering them the same benefits in the commonwealth of Israel that they would receive. Such an idea would have been totally repugnant to them.

As such, Peter’s statement, though true, was not something that meant a whole lot in regard to Jesus’ actual ministry and mission. It was a truth, it was an anticipation of Jesus being the fulfillment of their Scriptures, but it was an almost wholly misunderstood proclamation.

And that is fine. Jesus would slowly reveal this to them, including things that would only be understood after His work was complete and He ascended to heaven. In some cases, like speaking to Gentiles such as Cornelius in Acts 10, it would cause confusion in their minds and generate hostility among one another. The Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15 clearly reveals this. As for Peter’s words, he continues with, “the Son of God, the living.”

As noted, this doesn’t mean they understood Jesus to be God incarnate. The term “son of the God” is something that was applied to people throughout the Jewish Scriptures, beginning in Genesis 6:2. Even Gentiles were called “sons of the God” in Job 1:6 and 2:1. It is a title that indicates sonship in an adoptive sense.

Peter’s proclamation is an indication that Jesus is One who is set apart in a preeminent position, even if it was still misunderstood exactly what that meant. One other point is that this was something that was already known to Peter quite some time before –

“One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹ He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated, the Christ). ⁴² And he brought him to Jesus.
Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, ‘You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas’ (which is translated, A Stone).” John 1:40-42

As such, this proclamation of Peter is an adamant assertion of something he and the other disciples already knew. However, Jesus asked it to form the basis of another proclamation that needed to be made at this time.

Life application: The most important question any person can ever answer is, “Who is Jesus to you?” In fact, it is a great question to ask when you are about to evangelize someone. The answer to the question will mean where a person spends their eternal existence.

If someone says, “I don’t know,” he needs careful instruction. If he says that Jesus was a “good person,” though true, it tends to imply that they have been indoctrinated by liberal ideology to accept Jesus as someone who will illuminate one’s path, but who is on the same level as Buddha, Muhammad, or Gandhi.

If the person says, “Jesus is the Savior,” that still needs to be further defined. Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons will say Jesus is the Savior, but their understanding of what that means is so vastly different from what is biblical that they are referring to “another Jesus” who proclaims “another gospel.”

Jesus is the Yehovah Elohim, the Lord God, in human form, nothing less. If this is not accepted and believed, they are following the wrong Jesus. Be sure to be precise and properly instruct others on who He is and what He means to the people of the world. There is no other subject that is as important as this.

Lord God, may we carefully convey the message of who Jesus is to those we interact with. Help us to be bold in our proclamation while being correct in our doctrine concerning Him and what He has done. The world needs Jesus! May we be responsible in telling others about Him so that they may be saved. Amen.

Sunday, 1 February 2026

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Matthew 16:15

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“He says to them, ‘And you, whom you say Me to be?’” (CG).

In the previous verse, the disciples answered Jesus’ question concerning who people say He is. They answered, saying that some say John the Baptist or Elijah. Others, however, said He was Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Now that Jesus has been told the general speculation floating around about Him, “He says to them, ‘And you, whom you say Me to be?’”

The emphatic nature of the question sets the disciples apart from the others, such as, “Yes, that is fine, but what I am most curious about is who you…  you say I am!” He is looking to see where their understanding of Him rests. But it isn’t that He didn’t already know. Rather, He is getting them to think through what they already know and verbally proclaim it.

They have seen the miracles, and they have heard the wisdom of His instructions. They already know what they think about Jesus, but the information needs to be unpackaged and properly presented. Once that is out, they can then reinforce that belief, build upon it, and more boldly proclaim it.

Life application: If you ever want to get your thoughts straightened out about something, maybe something you didn’t even know you wanted straightened out, have someone interview you.

For example, a college student is told that one of his assignments is to interview three people from three different religions, asking them what they believe and why. The student decides to interview a Muslim, an orthodox Jew, and a Christian radio host.

When he interviews them, he has a list of various questions about their faith, why they do certain things, how they perceive God, etc. It is with all certainty that all three of them will come away with more information about themselves than they ever realized.

The Muslim is a Muslim because his parents were Muslims. He does XX and XX because that is what he grew up doing. Asked where the basis of that comes from, he has no idea. Asked if it is found in the Koran, he admits he has no idea. Rather, he has never read it.

The same is true with the other two as well. They have gone through life never thinking about why they believe what they believe. They just KNOW it is right… well, they think. After the interview, they have no idea exactly why they believe what they believe. Even the Jew spent more time defending his faith from a personal viewpoint than from a valid, researchable, and verifiable source.

The Jew said, “We Jews get along really well with Catholics. We are always going to functions with Catholics.” When asked why, his answer was, “We’re a lot alike. Jews and Catholics live for this life. They let the rabbi or priest take care of the next life for us.”

He had never thought that through before, but now he is forced to think through why he associates with some and not with others. Hopefully, he will see how exceedingly dangerous his position is. Letting someone else take care of your eternal state! Didn’t Jim Jones do that for his flock in Guyana?

Don’t be afraid to put yourself under the microscope and have your views challenged. And don’t be afraid to ask probing questions of others that may help them realize how tenuous their position on faith really is.

People need Jesus. If you can’t defend why you believe in Jesus when asked about Him, you will not be a very good representative for His cause. So have someone interview you. Their questions are bound to be like others’ questions. You will be preparing yourself for the inevitable questions that people really want answers to. This is what Jesus has done with His disciples. Now they must stand up and explain themselves. How will that go?

Lord God, help us to find ways of properly unpackaging our thoughts so that we know what we actually think and believe. We may know something, but not know why we know it or how to properly defend it. It may even be that we know something that is actually indefensible. Help us to get all of this sorted out. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

Saturday, 31 January 2026

So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Matthew 16:14

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And they said, ‘These, indeed, John the Immerser, and others Elijah, and others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus questioned His disciples concerning who men say He is. Matthew next records, “And they said, ‘These, indeed, John the Immerser.’”

These words seem confused, just as with Herod’s words in Matthew 14:2, when he said, “This, he is John the Immerser! He, he is aroused from the dead, and through this the miracles work in him!” How could a person who is essentially the same age as John be John if John was only executed a relatively short time before?

Two answers could fit. Either John was raised to life, appearing in a different form, or this is what is known as metempsychosis, or soul transmigration, where a soul can enter into another body. Whatever was on the minds of those who held to this view, they claimed that Jesus was John. Next, it says, “and others Elijah.”

This belief was seen in some with the same mentality as that found in John 1 –

“Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’
²⁰ He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’
²¹ And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’
He said, ‘I am not.’
‘Are you the Prophet?’
And he answered, ‘No.’
²² Then they said to him, ‘Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?’” John 1:19-22

Based on the words of Malachi 4:5, there was the anticipation of Elijah returning to Israel. Jesus even said that John was Elijah to come in Matthew 11:14, meaning that he came to fulfill that promised role.

This was the anticipation of the people of Israel, and so it was a logical extension of the communal thought that permeated the culture. When Jesus came, they thought, “This must be him!” Understanding that, Matthew continues with, “and others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

There is a difference in the word “others” that is not evident in the translation. We have one word that must be further explained, whereas the Greek has two separate words. The first, allos, others, before “Elijah” means others of the same kind. This others, the word heteros, means others of another kind.

In other words, there are those with the expectation of someone coming to fulfill Scripture. They didn’t understand that John the Immerser was the precursor of Jesus the Messiah. So both categories, defined by the word allos, were thinking about Elijah, directly or indirectly.

On the other hand, the second group, defined by heteros, are just making unfounded guesses, without any scriptural support, as to who Jesus might be. Therefore, they have gone back to Jeremiah or some other prophet, seen a trait in that person as recorded in Scripture, and think he must have come back in the person of Jesus.

Life application: Elijah didn’t die. He was taken to heaven in a whirlwind, as recorded in 2 Kings 2:11. Therefore, the Bible can say without any contradiction that Elijah will return. However, it is not the case with John the Immerser, who was beheaded.

Hebrews 9:27 says that it is appointed for men to die once, after which comes the judgment. Moses appearing with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration does not mean that he has received the judgment and can now return again to be one of the two witnesses in Revelation 11.

A point was being made about Jesus being the fulfillment of the law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah), as well as a point being made about Jesus having power over the living (Elijah) and the dead (Moses).

When we die, the chance we have for restoration with God is finished. If we die in Christ, we will be raised to eternal life. If we die apart from Christ, we will be raised for condemnation. This is what the Bible proclaims.

Don’t expect any loopholes for yourself or loved ones. Be sure to tell people about Jesus. But also be sure you are right with Jesus. This life is our chance to get the matter of Jesus settled.

Lord God, help us to be wise and discerning in this life, not only with our own relationship with You, but also with those we interact with. Help us to share the good news of restoration with those we encounter while there is time. May this be our priority at all times. Amen.