Was John the Baptizer Elijah? John said No; Jesus said Yes. How could they both be right?
The influence of Elijah spreads far beyond his lifetime, at least into New Testament days, if not to the end of human history. Malachi concludes with the cryptic words: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers” (Mal 4:5-6). This was linked with the earlier words, “Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me” (3:1). To this day, observant Jewish families set a place for Elijah at their Passover seder. Some thought Jesus was calling for Elijah from the cross when He cried, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” (Mt 27:46-47). Many Jews in Jesus’ day believed Malachi’s prophecy required Elijah’s reappearance before Messiah came. Thus when John, dressed in similar garb, began to preach repentance, they asked, “‘Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not’” (Jn 1:21). But later Jesus said of John, “He is Elijah who is to come” (Mt 11:14). How could both statements be true? John was right; he was not the reappearing of the historical Elijah—the one who appeared with Moses on Transfiguration Mountain. But Gabriel explained to Zechariah: “He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children’” (Lk 1:16-17). Yet it’s hard to think that John’s ministry fully satisfies the appearing of “Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” Many conclude that Elijah will be one of the two witnesses (Rev 11:1-14) who will once again “have power to shut heaven” (Rev 11:6). Oh the impact of a life when it’s lived all for God!