Is John the Baptist Elijah?

John the Baptist is believed to have the role of Elijah. He is not literally the person Elijah.

Elijah did not die but was taken up to heaven (2 Kings 2:1-11) and thus the Jewish people believe he will physically return to Earth from heaven before the coming of the Messiah (Sirach 48:4-11, Malachi 3:23-24). That is why John the Baptist denied he was the literal physical return of Elijah from heaven, but the Gospel affirmed he was a “typology” of Elijah (Luke 1:17).