John the Baptist is Elijah?

 

Some time ago the Indonesian Bible Society aired a Bible Seminar on the theme of Intertextuality. It has been conveyed that a text does not stand alone, but always has a connection with other texts.

This time, the discussion is getting more interesting or one could say quite 'mind blowing'. There is an argument or thought about the existence of John the Baptist. It is well known that John the Baptist was the one who baptised Jesus, who is also known as the one who paved the way for Jesus' work. However, there are many interesting things that seem to confirm the idea that Elijah did come in John the Baptist.

 

In the Gospel of Matthew 3:4 it states that John the Baptist wore clothes made of camel's hair and a leather belt. Then, when compared to what is written in the book of Kings:

'He was a man wearing camel's hair and a leather belt.

'He was a man who wore a hairy robe, and an animal skin belt...'.

In that passage, we are told that some of the king's messengers said this to describe a man they had just met. The man spoke of surprising things. The king said: 'That's Elijah the Tishbite!'

 

Elijah must come first! Again a startling statement was uttered and recorded. This time it was said by Jesus' own disciples. They said what was written in Malachi, as the scribes had said before. Jesus responded: 'Indeed Elijah is coming, and he will restore all things'. In fact, it is said that Elijah had already come, but the people did not recognise him, and even treated him badly.

 

From some of these arguments and thoughts that have been put forward, is this enough to prove that John the Baptist was indeed Elijah? What is being conveyed here? Incarnation? A reincarnation? Or something else?

Then, given the story of Elijah and Moses appearing with Jesus, the question must arise; why them? It seems to convey that Moses and Elijah are the greatest to the Jewish faith and the nation of Israel. Could this be the case?

Let's discuss one of the most amazing phenomena in the Bible in this Bible Seminar with Y. M. Seto Marsunu on the Youtube channel of the Indonesian Bible Institute.

Between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah?