Will Elijah come before the Second Coming?

The question of whether Elijah will come before the Second Coming of Christ is rooted in various scriptural references. The Bible provides several pertinent passages that inform this discussion.

The Prophecy in the Old Testament

The primary Old Testament prophecy concerning Elijah is found in the Book of Malachi. Malachi, one of the Minor Prophets, concludes his prophetic book with a promise that Elijah will return:

Malachi 4:5-6 (NKJV): “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

This prophecy explicitly states that Elijah will come before “the great and dreadful day of the Lord,” a phrase commonly interpreted as a reference to the eschatological Day of the Lord, associated with divine judgment and the ultimate establishment of God’s kingdom.

Elijah in the New Testament

In the New Testament, the figure of Elijah is significant in several contexts, most notably in relation to John the Baptist and the transfiguration of Jesus.

John the Baptist

The identification of John the Baptist with Elijah is addressed explicitly in the Gospels. When questioned about his identity, John the Baptist denies being that Old Testament prophet in a literal sense:

John 1:21 (NKJV): “And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ And he answered, ‘No.’”

However, Jesus provides a different perspective, indicating that John the Baptist fulfills the role of the Old Testament prophet:

Matthew 11:13-14 (NKJV): “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.”

Matthew 17:10-13 (NKJV): “And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.”

In these passages, Jesus affirms that John the Baptist is the Elijah who was prophesied to come, fulfilling Malachi’s prophecy in a spiritual or typological sense rather than a literal reincarnation.

The Transfiguration

The transfiguration of Jesus also features Elijah, alongside Moses, appearing in a vision to Jesus and three of His disciples:

Matthew 17:1-3 (NKJV): “Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.”

This event underscores the Old Testament prophet’s continued significance and his role in the eschatological expectations of spiritual Israel or the church. His appearance with Moses represents those who will go to heaven (get translated) without experiencing death.

Theological Interpretations

The identification of John the Baptist with Elijah raises a theological question about the nature of prophetic fulfillment and the timing of that Old Testament prophet’s coming. But Jesus gives the answer to this question saying, “But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands. Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist” (Matthew 17:12, 13).

John the Baptist represented the Old Testament prophet but not in a literal sense because when “they asked him (John), “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not” (John 1:21). So, in what way was John like Elijah? The scriptures explain, “And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:16-17, NKJV).

The ministry of John was to be in the “spirit and power” of Elijah. John’s baptism was a “baptism of repentance” (Mark 1:4, NKJV; Luke 3:3; Acts 13:24; 19:4). Repentance, or turning from sin, was the goal of his message. Men must repent if they would be “prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17, NKJV) and if they would enter His kingdom (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; 10:7). John’s work was to convince men to forsake their sins and to invite them to seek the Lord their God. This was the work that Elijah accomplished in the Old Testament (1 Kings 18:37).

The same work accomplished by Elijah and John the Baptist will be carried out again just before the Second Coming of the Lord. In these days of moral corruption and spiritual blindness, the Holy Spirit will raise voices that will proclaim God’s final message of repentance to the world.

Revelation 11:3-6 (NKJV): “And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.”

Elijah represents the prophetic witness and call to repentance that precedes the coming of the Lord. In this view, the “spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17, NKJV) can manifest in various prophetic figures or movements throughout history, culminating in a final prophetic ministry before the Second Coming.