¹¹ Then they asked him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?^[a]”

⁵ “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives.

The Coming Day of Judgment

3 “Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

¹⁴ And if you are willing to accept what I say, he is Elijah, the one the prophets said would come.^[a]

⁴ Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus.

¹⁰ Then his disciples asked him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?^[a]”

¹¹ Jesus replied, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready.