Now, this was the purpose of the prophecy of the blessed Messenger,
which he delivered to the people concerning matters affecting them, both at
that time and at the time of the Maccabees. Yet since he was thus the last
prophet of all those who consigned their prophecies to writing, he was right in
considering he could then show the end of the Law, on the one hand, and, on the
other, show what would come after it. [632] Hence he says, Remember the Law of Moses my servant, as I gave directions at Horeb as
commands and ordinances for all Israel. Lo, I shall send you Elijah the
Tishbite before the great and illustrious day of the Lord comes, which will
reconcile a heart of a father to a son, and a person’s heart to their neighbor,
lest I come and strike the earth from on high (vv. 4–6): in addition to all
that has been said I transmit this final command to you so that you may keep in
mind my Law that I gave to the whole of Israel through Moses, having clearly
stated that they must observe it in detail. The first token of obedience you
will provide, then, will be acceptance of the coming of Christ the Lord, who
comes for the salvation of all people: he will bring the Law to an end and make
clear his own way of perfection. It would therefore be good for you immediately
and at the outset to believe in him at his appearance, and acknowledge him to
be the one whom Moses and all the prophets predicted as bringing an end to the
Law and revealing the salvation of all in common. So it is also obvious to all
that this is the summit and highest good of the whole economy of the Law,
bringing all people to Christ the Lord, who appeared at that time for such
wonderful benefits. Since, however, even at his revealing you will give
evidence of your typical lack of responsiveness, blessed Elijah will be sent to
you before the second coming of Christ the Lord, which he will make from
heaven, so as to unite people divided over religion, and especially through the
knowledge of religion to bring parents into harmony with their children who
were formerly divided on the score of religion. In short, to reduce all people
to the one and the same unity, so that those formerly in the grip of impiety
may receive the knowledge of the truth through him and thus enjoy fellowship
with religious people. God will do this in his concern for the salvation of all
people, lest they persist in impiety and experience his fearsome coming, which
will mean the utter annihilation of the wicked. (Theodore of Mopsuestia, Commentary
on the Twelve Prophets [trans. Robert C. Hill, vol. 108, The Fathers of the
Church 108; Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 2004], 422-23)
