So, in what way or ways may we say that John the Baptist was Elijah? How is John the Baptist in the New Testament an “Elijah” from the Old Testament? One obvious and fun observation is that they both dressed very similarly. The Bible said in 2 Kings 1.8 that Elijah wore a garment of hair, and a leather belt. Matthew 3.4 said John the Baptist wore a garment of camel’s hair and also a leather belt. Beyond this fun observation, however, both preached messages of repentance and a turning back to God. John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ as Elijah was the forerunner of the Lord. I believe these reasons are at the core of what it means to say that John the Baptist was Elijah. Using theological language, John the Baptist is, in every true sense, a type of Elijah.
Isaiah 40.3–5
A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Matthew 3.1–3
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’”
If you asked me what was the essence behind Elijah’s message to the Israelites according to 1 Kings 17, I would say it is repentance. Israel was surrounded by pagan nations that worshipped Canaanite gods, such as Baal. One day, Israel dipped their toes into the idea of giving worship to these foreign gods, just in case it worked, just in case Israel was able to get what they wanted. Over time, they became immersed their whole body in pagan worship. Even King Ahab and Queen Jezebel were doing it. God called for the Israelites to part ways with pagan worship and to return to him, the one true God. But they rejected the warning. They would not give God the time of day. Undeniably, God used Elijah to warn his people to repent, and to reconcile with him.
When we come to Malachi 4.6, the reason for Elijah’s return some day is, again, to offer reconciliation.
Malachi 4.6
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.
Malachi’s warning appears to say the need for a reconciliation between the fathers and the children was acute, as if there was animosity between them. However, the Hebrew text may also be understood to mean, “turn the hearts of fathers alongside the children, and the hearts of children alongside the fathers.” Malachi may not have been talking about fathers and children being reconciled to each other. Rather, he was talking about both fathers and children reconciling to God. If there were no reconciliation from the generations, God would have no choice but to deal decisively and completely with sin.
When we arrive in the New Testament, we come to realize that John the Baptist was Elijah because John also preached a message of repentance. Christians remember that John the Baptist baptized people in the Jordan, and his baptism was known as “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” There was no one greater than John the Baptist among those born of women not because he had exceptional personal qualities or achievements, but simply because God chose him to announce the arrival of the Christ to the world. The Christ was the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world.
Matt. 3.1–2
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Which brings me to my last point. John the Baptist and Elijah have one more thing in common. Both were prophets from God, both preached a message of repentance and reconciliation, but both their messages were rejected. People from Elijah’s time and from John the Baptist’s time didn’t believe the message, and they carried on with their lives. People didn’t heed to God’s warnings during Elijah’s time. People didn’t heed to God’s warnings during John the Baptist’s time. People still don’t heed to God’s warnings today.
The Bible tells us how the story ends. Christ will return to earth as the King. But this time, he will come as the Judge. His kingdom will not end. Elijah has already come. His work is done. Each person needs to repent and to turn his heart towards God. Each needs to rely on God’s grace and Christ’s excellent work on the cross, not on his own works and efforts. Until Christ comes back, each needs to set his mind on the things above, not on things that are earthly, for each has died, and his life is hidden with Christ in God.