John the Baptist the new Elijah

Matthew 17:10-13 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Luke 1:17 And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.

	Elijah	John the Baptist
Wore a garment of hair and a leather belt around waist	(2 Kg 1:8)	(Mt 3:4)
Prophet of spirit and power	when defeating the prophets of Baal (1 Kg 18:20-40)	contempt for the corrupt Pharisees and Sadducees (Mt 3:7-10)
Called people to return to God	to turn away from idolatry (1 Kg 18:21,37-39)	to repent from their sins (Mk 1:4-5)
Confronted immoral kings	king Ahab for idolatry (1 Kg 18:17-18)	king Herod for committing adultery by marrying his brother's wife (Mk 6:18)
Treated cruelly by the king's wife	Jezebel threatened to kill him within 24 hours (1 Kg 19:2-3)	Herodias had him beheaded (Mk 6:17-28)
Anointed his successor	Elisha by God's command (1 Kg 19:16)	baptised Jesus the new Elisha (Mt 3:13-15)
Passed on ministry to successor at the River Jordan	when assumed into heaven (2 Kg 2:1-18)	when the heavens opened at Jesus's baptism (Mt 3:13)