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Why do scholars debate the identity of the figure St. John the Baptist said would come after him?

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Geertgen tot Sint Jans: John the Baptist in the Wilderness — St. John the Baptist *John the Baptist in the Wilderness*, oil on panel by Geertgen tot Sint Jans, 15th century; in the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin.

Scholars debate the identity of the figure St. John the Baptist referred to as coming after him because the original language in the Gospels is open to multiple interpretations regarding the nature of this successor.1

In Matthew 3, John states, "He who is coming after me is mightier than I." Scholars analyze this statement in the context of three primary possibilities:
* God himself: The figure could be interpreted as a divine manifestation of God arriving to enact judgment.1
* A human messiah: The figure could be a messianic leader expected within the Jewish tradition of the time.1
* A transcendent divine being: The figure could be a supernatural entity distinct from both a human messiah and God.1

Additionally, John’s prophecy that this successor would "baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" further complicates the identity, as this second "baptism" is often interpreted as a symbol of the imminent Last Judgment that the figure would carry out. Because these descriptions are symbolic and rooted in the apocalyptic expectations of the era, the precise nature of the figure remains a subject of historical and theological inquiry.1