“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” - Malachi 4:5
Both Malachi and Luke referred to “the Spirit and Power of Elijah” being released just before the “great and dreadful day of the Lord”. This was partially fulfilled in Jesus’ first coming but will be fully manifested just prior to His second coming. This special anointing alerts us to the prevalent social problems we are seeing and will see more and more just before the return of Christ. But it also empowers us to confront and overcome them!
(Luke 1:16-17) “And he will 1. Turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before Him in the Spirit and power of Elijah, 2. To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and 3. The disobedient to the wisdom of the just, 4. To make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Four Effects of the Elijah Anointing in the World Today
1. Repentance and Salvation
2 Tim 3:1-5 tells us that in the last times people will be sinful and unrepentant. In 1 Kgs 18:37-39 Elijah gave the world’s largest altar call, the people repented and turned to God, and then the heavens were opened, and rain fell from heaven upon the earth. Elijah People are quick to repent and bold to call others to repentance as well.
2. Protection of Families
Today the enemy has all but declared war on families. If the family breaks down, the church breaks down, if the church breaks down, righteousness breaks down, if righteousness breaks down, a nation is headed for the judgment of God! "Our fathers have fallen by the sword and the women and children are in captivity for this!" (2 Chron 29:9) We need to fight for our families in the spirit and power of Elijah!
3. Law and Order
“Righteousness exalts (promotes, prospers, protects) a nation. But sin is a reproach (degrades, disgraces, diminishes) any people.” (Prov 14:34) We are seeing the breakdown of all forms of government around the world today. Of course, this is just setting the stage for the rule of the Antichrist. But Elijah People aren’t afraid to stand up to political leaders and call them to godly standards. (Acts 19:20) "The Word of God grew mightily and prevailed." It is possible to change the spiritual environment and culture of a whole region of the world, as they did in Acts 19.
4. A Prepared People
Jesus is coming whether we are ready or not! He said that “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man.” Even though they had been warned, people were still unprepared. To be prepared means being aware of the times, walking in the Spirit, and being busy about the Father’s business. If we live prepared to meet the Lord every day, we will live prepared to make a difference in this world too!
We can all see these things happening around us right now, so we know that the Day of the Lord is right around the corner!
Yours in the Spirit and Power of Elijah!
Dr. George Hill,
President and Apostolic Founder of Victory Churches International Mandate
www.victoryint.org