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.
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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.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever
63-0627 §61
I want you to notice the difference between that woman and those educated priests that called Him Beelzebub. As soon as she seen that she said, "Sir, I perceive that you are a Prophet. Now we Samaritans, we know the Scriptures. We know that when the Messiah cometh, which is called the Christ, He will do this. He'll tell us these things, see. That's the sign of the Messiah, so you must be His Prophet, because He's going to be a prophet when He comes. We haven't had one for hundreds of years. But when He comes we kno...
At Thy Word, Lord, I'll let down the net
54-1207 §92
All right. 12? Who has 12? 13? 14? 14? Did I ... 14? All right. 15? 15? Anyone got prayer card 15? Raise up your hand. 15? All right. I believe somebody must be a ... somebody had to pick up, or something. All right. 15. Now 16? 17? Am I too far out? Have I ... 16? Isn't prayer card 16 here? Prayer card number 16. Is it in the building? 17, is it in the building? 18? 19? 20? I guess I've run out. What card's yours, sister? 20? 21? We will take a few more then. 21? 22? 23? All right 24? 25? Somebody got prayer card...
The Serpent's Seed
58-0928E §10
...(See?), vice versa. See, it's to break the power of the other. But what is it? The Bible claims the whole thing's a prostitute. Now, what are you going to do? That's right. And how the sins of the people would be visited... We went back in Deuteronomy and showed that a illegitimate child, bastard child, could not even enter the congregation of the Lord for fourteen generations. [Deuteronomy 23:2-3 says to their "tenth generation". It mentions the Moabite. Ruth was a Moabitess. From Ruth 4:18-22 and Matthew 1:17 we...
God-called Man
58-1005E §90
...e come? Number 7, number 8, who has prayer card 8? Already got it? Number 9? 8, number 8, we want you get it now. Maybe somebody outside, if they are, somebody raise their hand or some somebody outside who couldn't get in. Number 8? Brother Collins, is there anybody back there, prayer card number 8 trying to get in? All right, prayer card number 8. All right number 9. Prayer card 9, raise up your hand. Maybe they went out, couldn't get in. If they come in, put them in the line. Number 10, raise up your hand. The ma...
We would see Jesus
60-0708 §79
Now, if you get a prayer card, you keep it yourself. Don't take it off and give it to a neighbor. Let the neighbor come and hear the instructions too, if they're going to be prayed for. The prayer cards are inexchangeable, be turned out of line, see. Now, you must hear the message yourself, come for yourself. And now, if you miss your turn, then remember we called your number. Eight not here? Don't get one and then leave the building. Stay with it, stay here. All right. 8, 9? 9? Someone with prayer card... All righ...