Today's Favorite Verse: Luke 1:17

Today's Favorite Verse: Luke 1:17
"And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

This reminded me of this verse known so well regarding family history work and the redemption of the dead.

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."
(Malachi 4:5-6)

John had the power of Elias to prepare the way of the Lord. Elijah also had a role to play in preparing for the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Did both of these roles include the redemption of the dead? We know they practiced this in the early church.

"Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?"
(1 Corinthians 15:29)

I wonder if John was the one to establish baptism for the living and the dead?

Day 4098