Elijah: A Faithful Prophet In A Time Of Adversity
Elijah was a mighty prophet during a turbulent time in Israels history. The nation had turned away from the Lord to worship Baal, and King Ahab had formed an alliance with Sidon by marrying their princess, Jezebel. Elijah was sent to show Israel the evil of their ways and encourage them to return to the Lord. Learn more about his ministry in this latest installment of our Biblical Figures series.
Why Was Baal Worship Happening In Israel
The road to Zarephath was treacherous, and the city was no better. It was the very place where Baal worship began! Don’t miss thisGod led Elijah to hide in the hometown of the idol he sought to destroy.
The worship of Baal and Asherah continued in this part of Israel because some of God’s people had failed to drive out the Canaanites long ago . Their failure to follow God’s instructions resulted in the incomplete conquest of the Promised Land, the incomplete eradication of Baal worship, and the incomplete obedience of future generations of God’s people. Partial submission to God’s will is never enough.
Disobeying God has unpredictable and sometimes disastrous results. In Matthew 7:26, Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” No matter how unfamiliar our path may be, we can trust the One who will never leave us or forsake us . Spiritual valleys lead to higher places for those who stay close to the Lord.
Elijah Was A Man Who Held Belief When Situations Turned Dim
Many times Elijah found himself in the midst of a seemingly dimming situation. But he held belief. When promised rain remained absent, Elijah held belief, sending his servant to check the horizon seven times. Just as God promised, it rained.
Gods promises remain true for us today.
He said to his servant, Go up now, and look toward the sea.
He went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing.
He said, Go again seven times. 1 Kings 18:43 WEB
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The Story Of The Prophet Elijah Jezebel And King Ahab
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About this series: A narrative exploring the stories behind the paintings of late artist Herbert Mandel as explained in the context of the Biblical texts theyre derived from, by his son-in-law, Jim Robidoux.
Elijah went to the brook of Cherith as directed by God. He was to drink the brook water and eat bread and meat that the ravens would bring him there. Elijah needed to hide, far away from King Ahab and his Queen Jezebel. Ahab and Jezebel were the most wicked and evil rulers Israel had ever known. They employed 850 prophets of Baal and his consort, Ashera, and were killing the prophets of Yahweh. After Elijah told Ahab there would be no rain for years to come and not until I say so, they were determined to kill him.
When Ahab married Jezebel he created an unholy alliance with the King of Sidon, Jezebels father. Her country worshipped Baal and Ashera and Israel was beginning to do the same. Baal was supposed to be a dominant god that controls storms and rain. Baal and Ashera, his companion, were fertility gods.
During the third year of the drought Yahweh told Elijah it was time to go home. He was to show himself to Ahab even though Ahab had been looking everywhere far and wide, to kill him. Elijah was going to tell Ahab that rain was about to fall.
On Mount Carmel he asks all the people, How long will you waver between two different opinions? If Yahweh is God, follow him if Baal, follow him. None of the people answered him.
Elijah Taken Up To Heaven
2 When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.2 Elijah said to Elisha, Stay here the Lord has sent me to Bethel.
But Elisha said, As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you. So they went down to Bethel.
3 The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?
Yes, I know, Elisha replied, so be quiet.
4 Then Elijah said to him, Stay here, Elisha the Lord has sent me to Jericho.
And he replied, As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you. So they went to Jericho.
5 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?
Yes, I know, he replied, so be quiet.
6 Then Elijah said to him, Stay here the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.
And he replied, As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you. So the two of them walked on.
7 Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan.8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?
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The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints acknowledges Elijah as a prophet. The Church teaches that the Malachi prophecy of the return of Elijah was fulfilled on 3 April 1836, when Elijah visited the prophet and founder of the church, Joseph Smith, along with Oliver Cowdery, in the Kirtland Temple as a resurrected being. This event is chronicled in Doctrine and Covenants 110:1316. This experience forms the basis for the church’s focus on genealogy and family history and belief in the eternal nature of marriage and families.
In Latter-day Saint theology, the name-title Elias is not always synonymous with Elijah and is often used for people other than the biblical prophet. According to Joseph Smith,
The spirit of Elias is first, Elijah second, and Messiah last. Elias is a forerunner to prepare the way, and the spirit and power of Elijah is to come after, holding the keys of power, building the Temple to the capstone, placing the seals of the Melchizedek Priesthood upon the house of Israel, and making all things ready then Messiah comes to His Temple, which is last of all.
People to whom the title Elias is applied in Mormonism include Noah, the angel Gabriel , Elijah, John the Baptist, John the Apostle, and an unspecified man who was a contemporary of Abraham.
What God Wants Today
We can learn about the message of the final Elijah by studying the mission of John the Baptist. Gabriel brought a message from God that a prophet was coming to announce that Jesus was the Christ, the long-awaited Messiah. John the Baptist was that prophet, and Jesus declared that John was an Elijah-like figure, in addition to one who would come later .
An angel declared of Johns mission: And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also 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 a people prepared for the Lord .
The messages of Elijah and the other prophets of the Old Testament played an important role in the establishment of the New Testament Church. Paul told Church members of the first century that they were part of the household of God that had been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone .
At the time of the end, just before the great and dreadful day of Gods wrath, the world will again be given the same message that was preached by Elijah the prophet. As noted, Malachi 4:5-6 seems to indicate that an Elijah-like work will be done before Christs return.
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Abaice Babili Ababuukile Ku Bafwa
BUSHE nga walifwile, e lyo wabuuka, banoko kuti baumfwa shani? Kuti batemwa sana! Lelo bushe umuntu nga afwa, kuti aba no mweo na kabili? Bushe ici calicitikapo?
Mona umwaume no mwanakashi no mwaice abali pa cikope. Uyu umwaume ni kasesema Eliya. Uyu umwanakashi ni mukamfwilwa uwaleikala ku Sarefati, kabili umwaice, mwana wakwe umwaume. Bushiku bumo umwana wakwe alilwele. Alilwalishe ica kuti asukile afwa. Lyena Eliya aebele umwanakashi ati: Leta umwana obe kuno.
Eliya asendele umwana uwafwile no kumutwala mu muputule wa pa mulu. Lyena apepele ati: Mwe Yehova, lekeni uyu mwana abe no mweo na kabili. Awe umwaice atendeke ukupema! Lyena Eliya amutwele kuli nyina ninshi ali mu muputule wa pa nshi, e lyo amweba ati: Mona umwana obe ali uwa mweo! E calengele banyina ukutemwa sana.
Kasesema wa kwa Yehova umbi uwali uwacindama, ni Elisha. Aleafwako Eliya imilimo. Lelo mu kuya kwa nshita, Yehova atendeke ukubomfya na Elisha wine ku kucita ifipesha amano. Bushiku bumo Elisha aile ku musumba wa Shunemu, uko asangile umwanakashi uwali no mutima uusuma. Ilyo papitile inshita, uyu mwanakashi alikwete umwana umwaume.
Ilyo ulya mwana akulile, bushiku bumo aile mu kwafwa bawishi abalebomba mwi bala. Apo pene umwana apundile ati: Iye nafwa umutwe! Ilyo bamutwele fye ku nganda, alifwile. Banyina bali no bulanda sana! Apo pene fye banyina baileita Elisha.
What Happened At The End Of Elijah’s Life
1 Kings ends with the death of Ahab, and 2 Kings starts with the story of Elijah calling down fire. After that, Elijah apparently got a message that God was going to take him away, which other prophets also knew. Elijah and Elisha traveled to Gilgal, then to Bethel, Jericho, and finally to the Jordon River. As they traveled, Elijah repeatedly told Elisha to stay behind while he went on to somewhere God had called him , with Elisha always replying, As surely as the Lord lives and you live, I will not leave you. On two occasions, they met other prophets who warned Elisha, Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today? . Both times, Elisha replied he did know, but asks them not to speak about it.
Finally, at the Jordon, Elijah made the water part, and the two men walked across. On the other side, Elijah asked Elisha, what can I do for you before I am taken from you? . Elisha asked to inherit a double portion of Elijahs spirit, which Elijah said was difficult but, if you see when I am taken from you, it will be yours .
Then, a chariot of fire pulled by fiery horses appeared, coming between Elijah and Elisha. Elijah went up in the chariot in a whirlwind, and Elisha yelled, My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel! . Elisha then took the cloak Elijah had used to part the water, went back to the Jordon, and made the water part in the same way that Elijah did .
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Passing The Mantle To Elisha
The first two chapters of 2 Kings tells about how Elijah was take by God into heaven. Elisha and Elijah were on a journey. Elisha had asked for a double portion of the spirit of God to be on his life as was on the life of Elijah. Elijah said that if the younger prophet was with him when he went to heaven then he would be given his desires.
The two men were separated by a fiery chariot and Elijah was carried into heaven in a whirlwind . Elisha picked up the mantle of Elijah. When the younger prophet returned to his home the other prophets knew knew immediately that the spirit of Elijah was upon the younger man . There was something obviously different about his demeanor.
Elijahs Despair And Depression
Elijah was a great prophet of God who was used mightily by the Lord. He was also human, and he felt all the emotions that we feel. After defeating the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Elijah ran for his life because Queen Jezebel wanted to kill him .
Elijah ended up in a cave on Mount Horeb, the mount of God. There, God appeared to Elijah and asked him what he was doing there . Elijah responded by telling God how zealous he had been for the Lord and how he had destroyed the prophets of Baal. Then he said, I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too .
Elijah was discouraged and ready to give up. But God wasnt finished with him yet.
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Elijah Was Taken Up To Heaven
One moment Elijah walked this earth, the next he was taken up into heaven. Elisha, his successor, watched it unfold. I often wonder what emotions Elisha encountered at that moment.
As they continued on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 2 Kings 2:11 WEB
More Things To Know About Elijah And Elisha In The Bible
1. Elijah Was Taken Up to Heaven
When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.
The author of 2 Kings records Elijahs body being swiftly taken up to heaven, without having to experience an earthly death.
As they were walking along together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
As the two friends walked together, the whirlwind delivered him home to heaven. In a miraculous visual of a chariot of fire and horses of fire, Elisha witnessed the a glimpse of a spiritual world which is always active, but not often seen by human eyes here on earth. The Lords heavenly host as accompanied and supported Elijahs ministry, the NIV Study Bible explains, and not at his departure Elisha is allowed to see it. What a bolster of faith for Elisha, and he prepared to take his mentor and friends cloak and continue his work.
2. Elisha Performed Double the Miracles of Elijah
When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you? Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit, Elisha replied. You have asked a difficult thing, Elijah said, yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yoursotherwise, it will not. 2 Kings 2:9-10
3. Elisha’s Life and Death Pointed to God as the Source of Life and Power
4. Elijah Appeared with Jesus
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Showdown At Mount Carmel: Elijah And The Prophets Of Baal
Elijahs greatest public miracle involved a contest with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah on Mount Carmel. Elijah invited these false prophets and all Israel to a demonstration to show that Baal had no power at all against the God of Israel. The outcome would demonstrate who served the true God .
Elijahs greatest public miracle involved a contest with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah on Mount Carmel.
To show Gods power, Elijah told the large crowd, I alone am left a prophet of the LORD but Baals prophets are four hundred and fifty men . Elijah continued, How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him but if Baal, follow him . God would give convincing proof that day that He was Israels only true God.
So the contest commenced. Throughout the day, the false prophets called on their god to send down fire and consume an animal sacrificebut to no avail.
At the end of the day, Elijah called on Israels God to send fire to swallow up the sacrifice prepared for Him. God responded to Elijahs prayer. In a moment thousands witnessed the fire from heaven consume the carcass, all the water in the trench and all the wet wood, burning up even the stones!
For An Informed Reading Of I Kings 1: 2039
The famous story of Elijah on Mount Carmel is read as the haftarah for the portion of Ki Tisa. In it, Elijah, the prophet of Gd, puts to the testwhat was at the time perceived as the most supreme and powerful of all thegodsBaal. The central story in the Torahportion is that of the Golden Calf, and thus the story of the serves as an obvious sequel tothis unfortunate episode.
The timewas that of Ahab, king of Israel. Historically, most of the kings who ruled thestate of the Ten Tribes were far from virtuous. Ahab,however, took this to an unprecedented low: Ahab did more to anger the Lrd,the of Israel, than all the kings of Israel who had preceded him.
Ahabsbehaviour was influenced in no small measure by his wicked wife, Jezebel. As aprincess of the neighbouring kingdom of Sidon, she led both her husband and hiskingdom into the thick of the pagan culture in which she was so immersed. Uponmarrying her, Ahab fell entirely under her spell.
During theperiod of the First Temple, which includes Ahabs reign, prophecy was stillavailable and widespread. The principal prophet and sage of the time was Elijah. It was Elijah who singlehandedly undertook the opposition to Ahaband Jezebel. In view of Ahabs terrible conduct, Elijah came before the kingand swore in the name of Gd that rain would cease to fall in the entireregion. This decree would remain in place until he, Elijah, would revoke it.
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