Mt. 17:9 Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”
Mk. 9:9 Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things that they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
The policy of silence continues. But, having said again that He will rise from the dead, the disciples still don’t comprehend what is going to happen.
Mk. 9:10 So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.
Lk. 9:36b But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.
Mt. 17:10 And the disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
Mk. 9:11 And they asked Him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
Mt. 17:11 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Elijah truly is coming first and will restore all things.”
Mk. 9:12 Then He answered and told them, “Elijah does come first, and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?”
Indeed, the Torah (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah) are the two witnesses that testify that Yeshua is the salvation of God. The rabbis taught that before the Messiah would come God would send Elijah to prepare His way. This was based on four passages of Scripture from the Nevi’im: Malachi 3:1, 4:5,6; Isaiah 40:3-5, 62:10,11
The coming of Elijah in Jewish literature is connected with the resurrection of the dead. M;Sotah 9:15 says that the Holy Spirit (Ruach haKodesh) brings us the resurrection of the dead and the resurrection of the dead comes upon the appearance of Elijah (M:Eduyoth 8:7). Also in rabbinic literature, when Elijah comes, all disputed questions will be answered. Therefore the phrase is often found: “Let it be until Elijah comes....” (M:Shekalim 2:5; M:Baba Metzia 3:4). Here Yeshua validates the teachings of the scribes because it is in accordance with the Scriptures of Malachi 4, that Elijah will indeed come first, and he will restore all things.
Sources: Malachi 3:1, 4:5,6; Isaiah 40:3-5; 62:10, 11; M:Sotah 9:15; M;Eduyoth 8:7; M:Shekalim 2:5;
M:Baba Metzia 3:4
However, before Elijah can come and restore all things there is another group of prophecies that must be fulfilled, the prophecies concerning this first coming and His sufferings and death. Malachi’s prophecy of the coming of Elijah is prior to the second coming, not the first coming. If Elijah came before the first coming, doing the work of restoration which God predicted that he would do, the prophecies of the first coming would remain unfulfilled.
Mt. 17:12 “But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.”
Mk. 9:13 “But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him.”
Mt. 17:13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them about John the Baptist.
