Note 3 at Mt. 17:12: Jesus clearly indicates John the Baptist as being the one who fulfilled the last prophecy of the Old Testament that spoke of the coming of Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day of the Lord (Mal. 4:5-6). This is the second time that Jesus had said that John the Baptist was the fulfillment of Malachi's prophecy of Elijah (Mt. 11:14), and yet it wasn't until this explanation that they understood what He said (v. 13). The angel, Gabriel, also quoted from this prophecy and applied it to John the Baptist when announcing his birth to Zacharias (Lk. 1:17).

Some people believe that John came only in the spirit and power of Elijah (Lk. 1:17) and that there is yet to be a real appearance of Elijah before the second advent of Jesus, and that he is one of the two witnesses spoken of in Revelation 11:3-12. It is certain that John the Baptist was not a reincarnation of Elijah as some have tried to say since Elijah never died but was taken into heaven (2 Ki. 2:11; Heb. 11:5). The Bible does not teach reincarnation. John simply had the same anointing and power upon him as was upon Elijah.