Matthew 17:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Paul, alluding to both events, affirmed: ‘The grace of God has appeared, saving grace to all men, teaching us, that we, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, should live chastely, righteously, and godly in this present age.’ This refers to the first coming; he continued to speak of the second as well: ‘Waiting for the blessed hope and appearance of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ’ (Titus 2:11-13).

The prophets too mention both comings, indicating that Elijah will precede the latter, while the former was John, whom Christ designates as Elijah—not because he literally was Elijah, but because he fulfilled that role. As Elijah shall herald the second coming, so John heralded the first. However, the scribes confused these two events and misled the people, emphasizing solely the second coming and asserting that if this figure was indeed Christ, then Elijah had to come first. Consequently, the disciples questioned, ‘How then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?’ Similarly, the Pharisees approached John, inquiring, ‘What, then, art thou Elijah?’ without acknowledging the first coming. What was Christ's response? Elijah will indeed come before My second coming; yet even now, Elijah has come—referring to John in that context. This Elijah has arrived.

If one inquires about the Theban, he will also come; therefore, he stated: ‘Elijah must come first, and arrange all things.’ What does ‘all things’ refer to? The prophet Malachi wrote, ‘I will send Elijah the prophet to you... And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children..., lest I come and smite the earth with a curse’ (Malachi 4:5-6). The precision of the prophetic message is evident! When Christ called John Elijah, it was due to the parallels in their ministries. To clarify, the prophet referred to him as a Theban, yet John was not from Thebes. Furthermore, Malachi highlights the frightening nature of the second coming by stating, ‘Lest, when I come, I should smite the earth with a curse.’ In His first coming, however, Christ did not come to pass judgment: ‘I came,’ He declared, ‘not to judge the world, but to save the world’ (John 12:47). Malachi’s words thus indicate that the forerunner will arrive before the coming associated with judgment.

Additionally, he provided the purpose of this forerunner's arrival: to convince the Jewish people to believe in Christ, ensuring they would not face total loss when Christ came. Therefore, when Christ reminded them of this, He stated: ‘He must come first, and make all things right,’ meaning He would rectify the unbelief among the Jews of that era. This is why the prophet emphasizes the phrasing; he did not say: ‘turn...the hearts of the children to their fathers,’ but rather, ‘the fathers to the children.’ Since the forebears of the apostles were Jews, it is indicated that he will turn the hearts of the fathers—the attitudes of the Jewish people—towards the teachings of the sons, namely, the apostles.

The disciples reasoned that the wondrous transfiguration of glory they witnessed on the mountain seemed to indicate that the time had come, leading them to ask, ‘If you have already come in glory, why has the forerunner not appeared?’ This was particularly poignant since they had observed Elijah’s departure. By asserting, “The scribes say that Elijah must first come,” they emphasized that if Elijah had not yet come, it followed that, according to Scripture, the advent of the Messiah had not yet occurred.

John served as the herald for the first coming, while Elijah will herald the second, as prophesied by Malachi (Malachi 4:5-6): I will send you Elijah the prophet... who will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children—in other words, he will direct the hearts of that generation of Jews towards the apostles so that they may heed their teaching and believe in Christ, for the ancestors of the apostles were Jews. However, the scribes conflated the two comings, merging the first with the second, and taught only about the latter, which is why they rejected Christ, asserting that Elijah must first come, and then the Messiah. Yet, Christ clearly instructs about the two distinct comings. Observe:

His disciples questioned Him, "How do the Scriptures state that Elijah will come before your arrival and before the resurrection of the dead? Now we firmly believe that you are the Christ, the genuine Messiah; yet how should we understand Elijah's coming?" Having seen Elijah on Tabor, they wondered if this was the fulfillment of the prophets' promise or if they should anticipate another appearance of Elijah. The Lord had previously declared that His forerunner John was the Elijah foretold by the prophets, but the disciples struggled to distinguish between Christ's two comings: the First in humility and the Second in majesty. The forerunner for the Second coming would indeed be Elijah, while the forerunner for the First was John, referred to by the Lord as Elijah, not because he was Elijah himself, but due to his ministry in the spirit and power of Elijah. The scribes conflated the prophetic messages regarding the two comings of Christ, leading them to assert that if Jesus was the Messiah, Elijah must have preceded Him. This prompted the Pharisees to also question John, asking, "Are you Elijah?"

The scribes taught that Elijah must appear before the Messiah to prepare all things; the disciples pondered whether this current manifestation of Elijah should be regarded as the fulfillment of that promise or if they should await another. The Lord addressed their inquiry, referencing the scribes, and His words were meant to challenge typical Jewish beliefs regarding the Messiah's reign and the anticipated signs of His coming. He clarified that the appearance of Elijah should not be given the prominence that the Jews typically allotted to it, nor should any physical manifestation be anticipated; rather, these events should be understood in a spiritual context. It was indeed prophesied by Malachi that Elijah would come before Him to prepare the way for the Messiah, which the scribes correctly observed. Yet, they erred in interpreting this to refer solely to a literal appearance and actions of Elijah. In truth, Elijah had already come in the person of John, whom they treated as they wished, fulfilling the Scripture's prophecies. The Son of Man, too, would not receive recognition but would suffer at the hands of those who would act as they desired, much like His forerunner.

Instead of posing this question to Jesus, they inquired, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" It is crucial to follow the apostles’ reflections on their vision and Christ’s promise of resurrection. Their quest for understanding centered on two fundamental inquiries: what does it mean for the Son of Man to rise from the dead, and why do the scribes assert that Elijah must precede him? Indeed, Jesus responds to both queries, as outlined in Matthew, where His clarification leads the disciples to realize that He spoke of John the Baptist. This indicates that the prophecy regarding Elijah was not merely a forecast but a timeless doctrinal assertion. Mark, however, presents the answers with a degree of complexity. It is important to recognize that Jesus addresses both questions distinctly. First, He confirms that Elijah must appear before the Messiah, as prophesied in Malachi. Elijah's role is to prepare and restore all things. Next, He addresses the deeper, unvoiced question regarding the significance of the Son of Man's resurrection. Here, some interpreters insert a question mark regarding the identity of the Son of Man and the purpose behind His coming: the response reveals that He is destined to suffer many things and be humiliated. Finally, Jesus revisits the initial inquiry, affirming that the prophecy of Elijah had already been realized and that this Elijah faced persecution similar to what He Himself was about to endure. References to the trials of the prophet Elijah under King Ahab likely provide context for this suffering.

He assured them, “Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things, and as it is written of the Son of Man, He must suffer many things and be humiliated.” Furthermore, He stated, “I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but treated him however they wished. In the same way, the Son of Man will also suffer from them.” The disciples realized He was referring to John the Baptist. By the Lord's directive, the holy apostles remained silent and did not disclose what they had seen during that time. However, once the period of silence concerning the majestic event concluded, Peter later referenced the transfiguration as a powerful testament to the Savior's divine authority and glory.