Paradox

A paradox is two contradictory statements held within the same truth. Often paradox offer meditative reward.

For instance in the case of the Contradiction between John the Baptist understanding of himself as not Elijah and Jesus statement of John the Baptist as Elijah there is a pointer to a deeper realm of John's identity than even he knew existed. The spirit searches the deep things of God. We like God have many faces and many identities: Father, Uncle, Brother, Farmer, Teacher, Son. Beyond this we have several parts to our person: spirit, soul, body. Our body many parts and functions, Our soul comprised of mind, will and emotions and our spirit being the very place we connect with the Creator who is described as having seven spirits of Himself. Added to such a complexity of being and relationship we pass through time accomplishing purpose established in eternity and placed in our hearts. Para.ox is often an opportunity to let faith open our hearts, yet to often it is the excuse to live in unbelief/

Contradiction is often a heavenly invitation to revelation and destiny. God knows who we will become and places this in our hearts. You are pure even as you are made pure, the desire to become, and the prophetic word, all call us to the greatness we will be in Him and He in us. But in the moment our impatience gets the better of us, ha, slowing the process. The contradiction of what we know we will become in God and where we are now is the invitation to grow rather than live in condemnation. The contradiction between who we think we are and who He says we are is the opportunity for revelation which accelerates our maturity. The contradiction may in fact be the the very means of greater vision and maturity when we as Job trust God through the apparent disconnect.

We must ignore the clamoring storms and listen as Elijah did to the still small voice.

Elijah

Here is a mystery:

After Elijah appears with Moses at the transfiguration Jesus states:
"To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? ¹But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him."
After all things are restored in Elijah, He must suffer... then the mystery deepens for Jesus refers not to Elijah in the transfiguration but says John the Baptist is Elijah... the mystery goes further for John the Baptist says he is not Elijah!

There must be some uncharted depths in this one whose spirit is prophesied with turn the hearts of children to fathers and fathers to children in the last verse of the Old Testament, And whose Spirit in John the Baptist restores all in preparing the way of the Lord.

What concerns me here though is the embrace of the contradiction by Jesus when speaking of restoration of all prior to suffering he asks how can this be. Then the further contradiction in Jesus and John the Baptist disagreeing about the identity of John the Baptist.

One has asserted that Jesus being Jesus was correct while John simply did not know the fullness of who he was. Our subconscious depths may contain truths of who we are which reach beyond what we may admit. There are many facets and aspects to both God 's person and ours. Wisdom herself is manifold.