Though John is not the reincarnation of Elijah, he is the Elijah who, according to Malachi 3:1 and Malachi 4:5, would be the herald of the Lord (Matthew 17:12–13; Mark 9:13), just before the great day of the Lord. If John is this Elijah, then Jesus is the Angel of the Lord (Malachi 3:1–2). Matthew 11:14 leads us back to the preceding verse: that already in the wilderness the people could look forward to the coming of the Angel of Yahweh. Indirectly Jesus is of course here proclaiming that he is indeed the Messiah, since the ministry of Elijah (John the Baptist) was ending, which meant that the King was coming.
As John himself testified in John 1:21, he was in fact not Elijah reincarnated in person, but he was indeed the Elijah who, according to the prophecy of Malachi 3:1 and Malachi 4:5, would be the herald of the Lord (see Matthew 17:12–13; Mark 9:13).1
Malachi 4:5 prophesied that Elijah would come just prior to the great day of the Lord. If John is this Elijah, then of course Jesus, who comes after him, is the Angel of the Lord himself (Malachi 3:1–2). Matthew 11:14 leads us back to the preceding verse: that already in the wilderness the people could look forward to the coming of the Angel of Yahweh. Now that John is revealed as the promised Elijah, Israel can recognize the One who now stands before them in the person of Jesus—the Messiah who is now already being opposed by tyrants.2
Indirectly Jesus is of course here proclaiming the fact that he is indeed the Messiah. After all, the Jews now know that the ministry of John the Baptist had come to an end. They knew that Jesus continued his work. They had to embrace him in faith, which had meant a new, more glorious revelation of the kingdom of God. The king had come, and this necessitated acknowledging the royal power of the Father3
13 Car tous les prophètes et la loi ont prophétisé jusqu'à Jean;