Elijah and the New Testament

Last month, we explored the career of the Old Testament prophet Elijah as he fought against Ba’al worship in Israel. But Elijah is important in the New Testament as well. In fact, for a prophet who lived over 800 years before Jesus, Elijah has a rather large presence in the Gospels. Not counting Jesus, Elijah is the fourth most mentioned person, after Moses, Abraham, and David. There are two reasons for this: first, Elijah is said never to have died, and second, there is a prophecy about his return before the “Day of the Lord” (Judgment Day). As we read in 2 Kings 2:11-12, he was mysteriously taken directly to Heaven. “As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven.” Subsequently, the prophet Malachi spoke these words (Malachi 4:5-6): “Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse.”

In New Testament times, there was a general expectation that the Day of the Lord was near. John the Baptist called people to repent, and Jesus proclaimed the arrival of the Kingdom of God. Anxious Jews were able to believe that either John or Jesus might be Elijah returned. “This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He…confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” (John1:19-21) “Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (Matthew 16:13-14) “Now Herod the ruler heard about all that had taken place, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the ancient prophets had arisen.” (Luke 9:7-8)

Because of the vagueness of Malachi, it was possible that Elijah could return at any time. And because no one knew what Elijah looked like, he could be anyone. Actually, John the Baptist was a good guess, because John dressed like Elijah had (John had camel hair clothes and a leather belt, and Elijah had a sheepskin cape and a leather girdle) and lived in the wilderness.

The Gospels reveal that there was indeed a connection between John and Elijah. Before John was born, an angel said the following about him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John….He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:13-17) Therefore, John was not literally Elijah returned in the flesh, but he did possess the spirit and power of Elijah. Both men were on missions to convince the people to repent. Jesus confirmed that spiritual connection when he explained the following to his disciples: “And the disciples asked him, “Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He replied, “Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.” (Matthew 17:10-13)

What did Jesus mean when he said that Elijah had already come back, but that he was also still waiting to come back? He seems to have meant that through John the Baptist, Elijah had spiritually or symbolically returned already, and yet Elijah’s actual return in person was yet to come. If you look closely at the quote from Malachi above, you will see that it never claims that Elijah would return before the Messiah appeared. It just says that Elijah would return “before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes.” That leaves the possibility that Elijah himself will reappear before the second coming of Jesus.

Let’s not forget the appearance of the actual Elijah in the Gospels, in a section called the Transfiguration. “Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” — not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.” (Luke 9:28-36)
It was fitting that Elijah appeared alongside Moses in the Transfiguration. Elijah and Moses were similar in many ways, and many parallels may be found in their stories. For example, both men confronted rulers, fled to the wilderness, ate in the wilderness through miracles, spoke for God, gathered the people at a mountain, encountered God on Mt. Sinai, and parted waters. It is also fitting that both prophets are made aware of the true mission of Jesus. This connects the main figures of the Old and New Testaments, affirming that they are part of the same narrative, and that they work together in God’s plan.

When some Christians look ahead to the future return of Elijah, they identify him with one of two “witnesses” mentioned in Revelation: “And I will grant my two witnesses authority to prophesy for one thousand two hundred sixty days, wearing sackcloth… They have authority to shut the sky, so that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have authority over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.” (Rev 11:3-6) (The other witness might be Enoch, who also went to Heaven without dying, or Moses.) Many Jews continue to hope that every Passover, Elijah will return, to usher in the Messianic age. A cup of wine is even set on the table for him to drink, should he walk through the open door. This all goes to show that the mystery of Elijah goes on and on – like the prophet himself, it has never died.