Matthew 17:11
He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things.
English Standard Version (ESV)
All verses
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Matthew 17:11
He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Jesus confirms a prophecy, but "restore all things" doesn't mean a complete cosmic reset; it refers to a powerful reformation and spiritual reorientation, preparing hearts for God's kingdom. This restoration was initiated by John the Baptist, fulfilling the prophecy by turning people toward wisdom and preparing them for Christ.
Fresh off the glory of the Transfiguration, Jesus is responding to his disciples' confusion about why the scribes teach that Elijah must come first before the Messiah. Jesus affirms that Elijah indeed comes first to "restore all things," explaining that this refers to John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the way for Jesus. This sets the stage for the disciples to understand John's ministry as a crucial step in God's plan leading to Christ.
Jesus declares Elijah will come and restore all things. But didn't John the Baptist already fulfill this role? How can both be true?
Jesus affirms the scribes' teaching about Elijah's coming but clarifies its timing and meaning. He’s not talking about the literal, physical return of the ancient prophet. Instead, Jesus points to someone who would come in the spirit and power of Elijah. This points directly to John the Baptist, as confirmed later in Matthew 11:14. John's ministry was a powerful reformation, challenging the religious and moral corruption of the day. He called people back to God, preparing them for the Messiah’s arrival. His work wasn't a complete, final restoration, but a crucial, preparatory one.
The word 'restore' sounds like fixing something broken. But in Jesus' time, it meant something much bigger.
The Hebrew concept behind 'restore' doesn't just mean to fix what's damaged; it signifies bringing something back to its intended, perfect state. It implies a radical renewal and a return to God's original design. For Elijah (and John the Baptist in his preparatory role), this meant challenging deviations from God's law and calling people back to faithfulness. This wasn't just about correcting bad behavior; it was about re-aligning hearts and minds with God's purposes.
If John the Baptist was Elijah preparing the way, what does that make Jesus? And what does 'restoring all things' really look like?
While John the Baptist initiated a significant reformation, Jesus is the one who truly brings the restoration. His ministry, death, and resurrection are the pivotal events that begin the ultimate renewal of all creation. The 'all things' refers not just to a moral or religious cleansing, but to the complete re-establishment of God's kingdom, reconciling all things to Himself. This is a process that began with Jesus and will be completed when He returns.
Understand the original words
Ēlias · Greek Proper Noun
The great prophet of the Northern Kingdom who was promised to return before the coming of the Lord. He represents the prophetic office and serves as a precursor to the Messiah.
apokathistēmi · Greek Verb
To bring back to a former state, put right, or reorganize. In a prophetic context, it refers to the spiritual preparation and renewal of Israel in anticipation of the Messiah's kingdom.
Jesus is confirming the Jewish expectation that Elijah would return before the Messiah. He's affirming that John the Baptist is that Elijah, who came to 'restore all things' by preparing hearts for the coming kingdom of God.
c. 400 BC
Malachi's Prophecy
The prophet Malachi writes about a messenger who will prepare the way for the Lord, stating, "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he will clear the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts."
c. 6 BC
John the Baptist's Birth
The angel Gabriel announces to Zechariah that his son, John, will "go before him [the Lord] in the spirit and power of Elijah, and he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared."
c. AD 27-30— this verse
John the Baptist's Ministry
John the Baptist begins his public ministry in the wilderness of Judea, preaching a baptism of repentance and proclaiming the imminent arrival of the Messiah. He powerfully reforms many people's understanding and actions.
c. AD 28-30
Jesus' Ministry Begins
This is the Old Testament prophecy Jesus is referencing. Malachi foretells that Elijah will come to 'turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers' before the great day of the Lord, directly linking to Jesus' statement about restoring all things.
Matthew 3:1-3This passage shows John the Baptist acting in the 'spirit and power of Elijah,' fulfilling Jesus' words by preparing the way for the Messiah and calling people to repentance, thus beginning the 'restoration' Jesus spoke of.
Luke 1:17This verse describes John the Baptist's mission, explicitly stating he would go 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 just,' echoing the restorative work Jesus mentions.
Acts 1:6When the disciples ask Jesus if he will 'restore the kingdom to Israel,' they reveal their understanding of 'restoration' in a nationalistic sense. Jesus' response in Matthew 17:11 is about a spiritual restoration that precedes national restoration.
John 1:21When asked if he is Elijah, John the Baptist directly denies being Elijah, yet Jesus confirms Elijah has already come (in John's ministry). This highlights that the 'restoration' mentioned is not a literal return of the prophet but the work done through his appointed messenger.
barnesMatthew 17:11: "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things."
Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things - He did not mean by this that Elijah was yet to come, for he tells them immediately Matthew 17:12 that he had come; but he meant to affirm that it was a true doctrine which the scribes taught, that Elijah would appear before the coming of the Messiah. To "restore" means to put into the former situation. See Matthew 12:13 . Hence, it…
vincentMatthew 17:11: "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things."
ComethElijah cometh first. An abstract statement expressing the fact that Elijah's coming precedes in time the coming of the Messiah. It is a point of Jewish chronology; just as a teacher of history might say to his pupils, "The Saxons and Danes precede the Normans in England." Elijah had already come in the person of John the Baptist.
Jesus confirms a prophecy, but "restore all things" doesn't mean a complete cosmic reset; it refers to a powerful reformation and spiritual reorientation, preparing hearts for God's kingdom. This restoration was initiated by John the Baptist, fulfilling the prophecy by turning people toward wisdom and preparing them for Christ.
Fresh off the glory of the Transfiguration, Jesus is responding to his disciples' confusion about why the scribes teach that Elijah must come first before the Messiah. Jesus affirms that Elijah indeed comes first to "restore all things," explaining that this refers to John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the way for Jesus. This sets the stage for the disciples to understand John's ministry as a crucial step in God's plan leading to Christ.
Fresh off the glory of the Transfiguration, Jesus is responding to his disciples' confusion about why the scribes teach that Elijah must come first before the Messiah. Jesus affirms that Elijah indeed comes first to "restore all things," explaining that this refers to John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the way for Jesus. This sets the stage for the disciples to understand John's ministry as a crucial step in God's plan leading to Christ.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Matthew 17:11 is available in the Sola app.
Jesus begins his public ministry, teaching, healing, and gathering disciples. Many recognize the fulfillment of prophecy in his work, though some are confused by the role of John the Baptist.
"He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things." — Jesus confirms a prophecy, but "restore all things" doesn't mean a complete cosmic reset; it refers to a powerful reformation and spiritual reorientation, preparing hearts for God's kingdom. This res…