John the Baptist
To increase font size push control +. To decrease: control -.
John the Baptist was the “return of Elijah,” and this took people by surprise. They were expecting something quite different when Malachi wrote in his Oracle: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.”(Malachi 4:5) After all, Elijah had gone “up by a whirlwind into heaven” (2 Kings 2:11), so wouldn’t he come back the same way? How could John the Baptist, who was Jesus’ cousin, have been the return of Elijah? He didn’t come streaking down from the sky on a whirlwind of fire! He came from Elizabeth’s womb. Yet, Jesus Himself said: “I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased….” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.” (Matt. 17:12 & 13)
The disciples were somewhat confused about this subject. The Jews were also confused, so they sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask John whether he was the return of Elijah: “And they asked him, ‘Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not,’ ‘Are you the prophet?’ And he answered, ‘No.’ They said to him then, ‘Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’ He said, ‘I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah said.’”(John 1:21—23)