What Is the Difference Between Matthew 11:14 and 17:11-12?
1) Direct Answer
Matthew 11:14 identifies John the Baptist as the “Elijah” for that hour to forerun the Lord’s first coming. Matthew 17:11–12 shows both truths: Elijah “shall first come, and restore all things” (future), and “Elijah is come already” (present then, in John), whom they rejected.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- Matthew 11:14: “If you will receive it, this is Elijah which was to come.” That’s Jesus unveiling John’s role to those with ears to hear (v.15).
- Luke 1:17 says John came “in the spirit and power of Elijah… to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,” matching the first part of Malachi 4:5–6 and also Malachi 3:1, the messenger before the Lord’s face.
- Matthew 17:11: “Elijah truly shall first come, and restore all things”—that looks ahead to a work of restoration. Then 17:12: “But I say unto you, that Elijah is come already,” and the disciples understood He spoke of John (v.13). So Jesus points to a present fulfillment in John and a still-future restoration.
- John 1:21 shows John was not literally Elijah the Tishbite; he bore the anointing and ministry pattern.
- Acts 3:21 speaks of the “times of restitution of all things,” which matches “restore all things” in Matthew 17:11, pointing to the end-time phase before the Lord’s return.
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- John prepared a people and pointed to the Lamb (John 1:29). He did not “restore all things.” Therefore, Matthew 17:11 cannot be exhausted by John. It promises a future Elijah-work of restoration.
- So Matthew 11:14 = John identified as Elijah for the first coming. Matthew 17:11–12 = both the recognition of John already come and the prophecy of an Elijah ministry yet to come to restore all things before Christ’s appearing.
4) Reinforcing Statement
Now notice, Jesus said, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” You see, the same God who sent Elijah’s spirit to forerun the first coming has promised a restoring work before the second. That’s the mystery held in those two passages.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
We would see Jesus
62-0704 §78
They come down, the boy does, and takes these prayer cards and stands up before you. He mixes them together, then he just starts giving you a prayer card. You might get 6, and the other one get 14. Come over here, lady. 4, 5. And then who has 5, raise up your hand. Prayer card number 5. And then another thing when he... Right down here, lady. And then another thing they do in that, then sometimes I call from one place... How many was ever in a meeting before, one of our meetings? Oh, well, I thought I was amongst s...
We would see Jesus
59-0422 §50
...ew of the prayer line. Each night, we call a hundred people, about, or maybe more if we can. Let's just call a short group of them tonight, just because we get out on time, and you come back again tomorrow night. Where's Billy Paul? Prayer cards A-1 to 100 is what he gave out. Now, let's have A number 1. Let's start from number 1, just bring a few of them. Who has number 1? Just raise up your hand. Now, it may be somebody in these chairs can't raise up. To the left? All right. A number 1, would you come right here,...
God's Provided Way
53-1201 §45
And when down there in Egypt, God told him, said, "Call out now..." I love this, He said, "I'm going to make a difference." God does make a difference. "I'm going to make a difference between the Egyptians and the Israelites. And this difference is going to be by the shedding of blood of a lamb." Called out, separated. God always calls for separators. Lot of people in the church say, "We want this young fellow, he's just got out of college and I tell you, he'll take a social drink and oh, he's a good mixer." God do...
Divine Healing
54-0620E §43
And tonight the Lord Jesus has given we poor people this privilege tonight to see the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. I want to ask you something: If you were going down in Des Moines tonight, and someone told you that the Lord Jesus was here in Des Moines... Different churches had their different phases, their different theory, theology that they teach. And every one of them... I have no right to condemn what they're doing. Any man that breathes the breath of Jesus Christ, breathes His name, I love him. I might di...
Does God ever change His mind about His Word?
65-0418E §72
There was one group to come to a prophet one time named Job. They couldn't talk him out. He saw the vision, he knowed what was right. Balaam saw the vision and still didn't stay with it. No matter how much these church groups said, "Oh, Job, you ought to do this, you ought to do that"... Even his wife, he said, "You talk like a foolish person. I know what the Lord said. I know what He required, and that's what I've done." See, he stayed with what God told him. Notice, Balaam using this phony text for his conscience...