The Church of God claims that its leader, Ahnsahnghong Ahn, fulfilled the prophecies of Elijah, but this is incorrect. The biblical Elijah was a prophet of God who was active in northern Israel during the time of King Ahab. Jezebel, who was married to King Ahab, turned Ahab into an idolater who worshiped the god Baal and caused the death of God's prophets.
Enraged at their actions, Elijah called all the idolaters of Israel to Mount Carmel. Elijah fought them and in this event 850 religious leaders serving Baal and Asherah were killed. Because of this, King Ahab's wife Jezebel tried to kill Elijah. But Elijah proved his legitimacy by keeping it from raining on the land of Israel for three years and six months and building an altar of 12 stones. And he ascended to heaven on a fire horse, and this is the story of Elijah. But the prophet Malachi testified of Elijah:
[Malachi 4:5~6] See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."
The Bible prophesied that Elijah would appear before the Day of Judgment. The purpose of Elijah's appearance is to turn the hearts of her children to God and God's hearts to their children. But Yehoshua testified that John the Baptist was Elijah.
[Matthew 11:13~14] For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.
John the Baptist and Yehoshua received an angelic revelation before they were even born. John the Baptist was conceived by an angelic revelation six months before Joshua was born, and Joshua was later conceived by an angelic revelation. So the prophet Malachi prophesied about their relationship:
[Malachi 3:1] "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty.
Therefore, John the Baptist is the messenger (angel) of God who prepared the way for Yehoshua, prophesied as the messenger of the covenant. So, did Elijah appear as the reincarnation of John the Baptist?
[Luke 1:17] And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
Elijah did not reincarnate as John the Baptist, but John the Baptist received the heart of Elijah. Malachi said that Elijah would appear before the day of judgment, but in Revelation, the day of judgment is prophesied as seven plagues. Before this day comes, however, two witnesses who have received God's Holy Spirit will appear and fight the prophets of the false church for three and a half years.
[Revelation 11:3~7] And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want. Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.
Elijah kept it from raining for three years and six months. Likewise, the two witnesses keep it from raining for three years and six months. In three and a half years, two Witnesses will be murdered by someone. But there will be resurrection and ascension, and those who witness will praise God.
[Revelation 11:7~14] Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on. At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.
Just as Elijah ascended to heaven on a fire horse, the two witnesses who received the Holy Spirit of God will ascend before the seven plagues come. When the seventh angel blows the trumpet after the two witnesses ascend to heaven, the kingdom of God will be restored.
[Revelation 11:15] The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever."
The Resurrection and Ascension of the Two Witnesses will lead many to repentance. Those who have seen the Ascension of the Two Witnesses will turn their hearts to God through repentance. God will also turn your heart to man. Therefore, the history of the two witnesses is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Elijah prophesied in the book of Malachi.
[Revelation 11:13] At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Therefore, the Elijah prophesied in Malachi 4 refers to the two witnesses.
