His disciples asked him, “Why do all the religious scholars insist that Elijah must first appear before the Anointed One comes?”
If you can receive this truth, John is the Elijah who was destined to come.
“Why do you baptize the people if you are neither the Messiah, Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
“Then who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?” “No,” John replied. So they pressed him further, “Are you the prophet Moses said was coming, the one we’re expecting?” “No,” he replied.
Then they asked him, “Why do the religious scholars insist that Elijah must come before the Messiah?”
They answered, “Some are convinced you are John the Baptizer, others say you are Elijah reincarnated, or Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”
He answered them, “They’re right. Elijah must come first and restore all things.