73. The treatment that the Israelites meted out to the Prophet Elijah (peace be upon him) in his life has been referred to above, but after his death they became so enamored of him that they held him in the highest esteem and reverence after the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him). They formed the belief that Elijah (peace be upon him) had been taken up alive into heaven by a whirlwind (2 Kings, ch. 2), and that he will come back to the world again. Thus, in Malachi (O.T.) it is written:

Behold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. (4: 5).

At the time the Prophets John and Jesus (peace be upon them) appeared, the Jews were awaiting the advent of these three men: the Prophet Elias, the Christ and “that Prophet” (i.e. Muhammad). When the ministry of the Prophet John began and he slatted baptizing the people, the Jews sent priests to him to ask, “Are you the Christ?" And he said that he was not the Christ. Then they asked, “Are you Elias?” And he answered that he was not Elias; then they asked, “Are you that Prophet?” And he answered that he was not “that Prophet” either. Thereupon they said, “If you are neither the Christ, nor Elias, nor that Prophet, why do you then baptize?” (John, 1: 19-26). Afterwards when the name of the Prophet Jesus spread among the people, the Jews thought that perhaps the Prophet Elias had come. (Mark, 6: 14-15). Even among the disciples of Jesus themselves the idea was common that Elias the Prophet would come, but Jesus removed their misunderstanding, saying, Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatever they listed. Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Baptist and not of Elias who had appeared eight hundred years earlier. (Matthew. 11: 14; and 17: 10-131).