Answer #26

           Although Jesus did refer to John the Baptist as being an "Elijah," the statement at Matthew 17:11 could not be talking about John because, during his six-month ministry, he did not ‘restore all things.’ When asked by the people if he was Elijah, he answered that he was not. (John 1:21) We know that Israel’s restoration was done by Jesus in the first century. But this is not what Jesus had reference to when he spoke about "Elijah" ‘restoring all things.’ This was a ‘future restoration’ that Jesus had reference to that would occur beyond the first century.