The prophet Elijah was a great man of God and miracle worker who hailed from the town of Tishbe in the region of Gilead, to the east of the Jordan River. Since the prophet was originally from Tishbe he is also known as Elijah the Tishbite. Elijah lived in the 9th century BC, and was a contemporary of Ahab king of Israel. Now due to the great evil which Ahab did in the sight of the Lord, the God of Israel sent Elijah unto Ahab confronting the king in response to all of the wickedness perpetrated in Israel during the time of his rule. And as we shall see Elijah did indeed challenge the king and with the help of Almighty God, Elijah triumphantly defeated certain evil doers and went on to purge Israel from the grievous sin of idolatry. Elijah also prophesied a 3 1/2 year famine, where there would be no dew nor rain, which would sorely afflict the land of Israel. Now Elijah had a servant named Elisha, who would eventually continue in Elijah's mission and succeed him as prophet in Israel after Elijah was taken up in a chariot of fire and ascended into heaven in a whirlwind (II Kings 2:11). Since Elijah did not die, tradition teaches that Elijah will one day return to earth along with the prophet Enoch, who was also translated that he should not see death (Hebrews 11:5). These two witnesses will preach during the reign of the Anti-Christ, shortly before the second and glorious advent of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The following presentation will concisely cover the story of Elijah as found in the pages of the Old Testament, and will attempt to expand upon the many references made of Elijah in the New Testament, as well as glancing at the various legends surrounding Elijah the great prophet of fire. Finally we will focus our attention on the critical role that Elijah will ultimately play in the end of days, making Elijah the divine ambassador of Armageddon.
Outside of the Biblical account which documents the life of Elijah, many legends and traditions have come down to us concerning the prophet and his miracles. One such tradition holds that while Elijah was yet an infant, his father, Savah, beheld radiant angels conversing with him, and swaddling the baby Elijah with fire, and feeding him with flames. This would prove to be an omen of Elijah's future as a man possessed with a flaming zeal for God, with power of words and a blameless life, which would be a great light brilliantly shining alone amongst a sea of darkness. For it would appear that Elijah was chosen by God even from his mother's womb for the purpose of saving the children of Israel from their idolatry and wickedness. Elijah was completely dedicated to God even from his youth up and never married. Thus in a way Elijah was especially bound unto the Lord and shared a very unique and intimate relationship with his creator. For the name Elijah literally means, “My God is Yahweh.” By witnessing the impiety and perversion in Israel, Elijah was greatly vexed of spirit, and was inflamed with an intense zeal for the glory of God. For the children of Israel were bowing down before abominable idols and had departed from the worship of the one true God.
For in the days of the Divided Kingdom of Israel and Judah (during the 9th century BC) did Ahab son of Omri reign over the northern Kingdom of Israel in Samaria (I Kings 16:29). The Bible also tells us that Ahab did evil in the sight of the Lord above all the kings that were before him. For Ahab was led astray from the worship of the God of Israel through the influence of his wife, the Phoenician princess Jezebel, who was deeply involved with the evil practice of worshiping idols. Jezebel was the daughter of king Ethbaal, who ruled the Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon. In addition to his political career, Ethbaal was also a priest who served the various gods and goddesses which made up the pantheon of deities in his realm. Due to her father's elite position and religious vocation, it has been speculated that Jezebel herself was an initiate of the mysteries of the occultic ceremonies of the Canaanites. When she married Ahab, Jezebel brought with her all the demonic practices of her people along with certain idols, especially the god Baal and his feminine consort the goddess Asherah. However, instead of standing up to the pagan practices of his wife, Ahab bowed down to the gods of Jezebel and even built an altar and a temple dedicated to Baal in Samaria. Jezebel, on her part, refused to worship Yahweh: the God of her husband and of the people of Israel. Thus at this time the Northern Kingdom entered an era where idolatry was combined with the worship of the God of Israel. And this disgusting religious practice of worshiping God alongside satanic idols is known as the “Merging of Baal.”
Now when observing the purity of the worship of the one true God of Israel and placing it next to the wickedness of the worship of the idol Baal, one must wonder, why Ahab (a king of Israel) would marry such an idolater as the Phoenician Jezebel in the first place? The answer to this anomaly may be found by looking more into politics and not so much into researching religion. For the marriage of Ahab and Jezebel was more of a power play, which ensured both parties the luxury of increased military protection as well as the opening up of prosperous trade routes which benefited both Israel and her neighbors. This royal marriage of convenience allowed Israel access to the Phoenician seaports, and granted Phoenician trading through Israel into the Trans-Jordan. However, though this intermarriage brought with it material gain, it would conversely plague Israel with spiritual corruption. For Ahab yielded to the idolatrous customs of his foreign wife, and thus through the influence of wicked Jezebel the Kingdom of Israel descended into apostasy. However, this iniquity would be purged by Elijah who challenged and defeated the prophets of Baal and Asherah who ate at Jezebel's table. But before we look into this story in further detail let us first examine the severe drought which God brought upon the land of Israel by the word spoken by Elijah unto Ahab.
Now the evil perpetrated in Israel by king Ahab and his wife Jezebel did not go unnoticed by the God of Israel. For the Lord sent Elijah and spoke unto Ahab, saying, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” After this the Lord guided Elijah to hide by the Brook Cherith. There Elijah was able to sustain himself by drinking from the brook, and the Lord even sent ravens to feed Elijah by bringing him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening. After a while the brook dried up. Then the word of the Lord came again to Elijah and told him to go to Zarephath, which belonged to Sidon, and to dwell there. For the Lord had commanded a widow there to provide for Elijah. Once Elijah came to the gate of the city of Zarephath, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. Elijah approached and asked her for a morsel of bread. But the woman said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a barrel, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” But Elijah told her not to fear, informing her that the Lord God of Israel has said: 'The barrel of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.'” And indeed it came to pass that the flour and the oil were not used up, and she and her son and Elijah ate for many days.
In addition to the miracle of the flour and the oil, Elijah would perform a even greater miracle involving the widow of Sidon and her son. For it happened that the son of the woman became sick and died. So she said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?” So Elijah took her son and laid him on his own bed. Elijah prayed to God and stretched himself over the child three times, and cried out to God once more. Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived. Then Elijah gave him to his mother, and told her, “See, your son lives!” Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth.”
Now it came to pass after many days, in the third year, that God sent Elijah to Ahab, and with boldness Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal and Asherah who ate at Jezebel's table. Elijah proposed that all the congregation of Israel go up on Mount Carmel. And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. Then the prophet of Yahweh made the 450 prophets of Baal place a slaughtered bull on their altar of sacrifice, and Elijah would place a slaughtered bull on the altar of the Lord. Elijah proclaimed to the servants of Baal, “...call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answers by fire, let him be God.” So it was that the prophets of Baal called upon their god from morning till noon, but there was no answer. Elijah began to mock them as they danced in a frenzy about their altar, and in a fit of madness they even started to cut themselves with knives until blood gushed from their wounds. The wicked prophets continued to cry until evening, but there was still no answer from the gods they worshiped. Then came Elijah and poured four barrels of water upon the altar of the Lord. He did this tree times and called upon the God of Israel. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the sacrifice, as well as the altar, and even licked up all the water. The people witnessing this awesome miracle gave glory to God, and Elijah commanded that the prophets of Baal be captured and Elijah slew them all at the brook Kishon.
Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.” Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, “Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.” Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded up is loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
Now when Jezebel heard of what Elijah had done to her prophets, she sent a messenger to Elijah, telling him how she intended to kill him. But when Elijah heard of it he ran for his life into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and there he prayed to God that he might die. But as he slept under the juniper tree, an angel touched him and commanded him to eat. For he saw a cake baked on coals and a cruse of water by his head. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. A second time the angel of the Lord woke him and told him to eat, for the journey before him would be too great. So after he ate and drank he went in the strength of that food for forty days and for forty nights as far as to Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave, and behold, the word of the Lord came to him saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” And Elijah said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” Then God said unto Elijah, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. And even though Elijah thought that he was the only prophet left in Israel, the Lord reassured him that he was not. For the God of Israel make it known to Elijah saying, “I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
Now there was a man named Naboth a Jezreelite who had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab. Ahab approached Naboth and proposed to purchase the vineyard from him. However, Naboth refused Ahab's offer and the king became so depressed that he wouldn't even eat. When his wife Jezebel saw his condition and asked why he was so sad, Ahab told her how he wanted the vineyard of Naboth, but was refused. Jezebel enraged by this denial of material goods wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the nobles of Jezreel in a conspiracy to have Naboth killed. Naboth was indeed framed for blasphemy and ultimately stoned to death. Then by the coaxing of Jezebel, Ahab seized control and took possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. Now after Ahab and Jezebel added this new crime to their iniquities, the word of the Lord came unto Elijah commanding him to speak unto Ahab prophesying to him, saying, “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick the blood of Ahab.” And concerning Jezebel, the Lord spoke, saying, “The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.” For no king of Israel before Ahab had done so much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, for Jezebel his pagan wife had so stirred him up.
So it happened one day that Ahab the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah joined forces to fight against the king of Syria in Ramoth Gilead. During the battle an arrow struck Ahab between the joints of his armor. The battle increased that day; and the king was propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians, and died that evening. The blood ran out from the wound onto the floor of the chariot. Then, as the sun was going down, a shout went throughout the army, saying, “Every man to his city, and every man to his own country!” So the king died, and was brought to Samaria. And they buried Ahab in Samaria. Then someone washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood while the harlots bathed, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken. As for the fate of Jezebel, she would meet her death by being thrown out of a window by a couple of her own eunuchs. As she plummeted to her death she gave barley a cry, for Jezebel was dumb struck by the treachery of her slaves and she was trampled underfoot by horses and her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and her body was eaten by dogs. When they went out to bury her, all that was left of Jezebel were her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands. Therefore it was said, “This is the word of the Lord, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 'On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; 'and the corpse of Jezebel shall be as refuse on the surface of the field, in the plot at Jezreel, so that they shall not say, “Here lies Jezebel.”'”
As for the fate of Elijah, he would definitely not meet a disgraceful end, but rather was glorified by the God whom he glorified. For like Enoch, Elijah did not die, but was taken up alive and ascended up in a fiery whirlwind unto heaven. For as Elijah journeyed with his servant Elisha, many of the sons of the prophets approached Elisha asking him if he knew that the the Lord would indeed take away Elijah his master from him. Elisha did acknowledged it but told them to keep silent about it. And it came to pass that when Elijah and Elisha reached the River Jordan that fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground. Then Elijah asked Elisha, “What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” And Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” Then it happened as they were still talking, there suddenly appeared a chariot of fire with horses of fire which separated the two of them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. Seeing this Elisha cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. Elisha tore his clothing in two pieces and he also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back to the Jordan. There he took the mantle of Elijah and struck the water, and it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.
Thus ends the story of the great prophet Elijah as found in the pages of the Old Testament. Now that the Biblical account of Elijah's life has been presented, we will now look at some legends concerning Elijah that fall outside of the Biblical narrative, and also compare his life and times with other references of him as found in the New Testament. But first a comparison of Elijah with the holy prophet Moses will begin the second half of this exegesis on the life and legacy of the holy prophet Elijah, the glorious forerunner of the Second Coming of Christ.
In his day the holy prophet Elijah was so incredibly zealous for the Lord God of Israel, that he has been described as a prophet of fire. In addition to Elijah, the law giver Moses (being a great prophet of God himself) was also endowed with a fiery disposition. For both Moses and Elijah were two great men of God who ascended unto lofty spiritual heights and they were also both endowed with a strong and holy character. Now it is quite fascinating that even though these two prophets lived centuries apart the stories of each of their lives, and even their personalities, share striking similarities. For instance: just as Moses confronted the king of Egypt, and brought about plagues upon the land of Egypt, so too did Elijah confront the king of Israel, bringing about a severe drought upon the land of Israel. For the Lord made Elijah a god to Ahab, as of old He made Moses a god to Pharaoh. Just as Moses fled from Egypt and became a fugitive, so too was Elijah exiled from Israel and ran away as a wanted man. Just as Moses competed with the magicians of Egypt and defeated them, proving the omnipotence of the Lord God of Israel, so too did Elijah challenge and defeat the prophets of Baal, reaffirming the supremacy of Yahweh. And just as the Lord spoke unto Moses at the burning bush on Mount Horeb in the centuries past, so too did Elijah speak with God on that same Mount Horeb, several centuries later.
Among the various legends concerning prophet Elijah, one such story tells us that the son of the widow of Sidon, whom Elijah raised from the dead, was none other than the child who would grow up to become the future prophet Jonah. Other legends state that during his years of exile Elijah disguised himself as an Arab and then traveled into Israelite villages where (incognito) he would test the souls of his fellow countrymen. Jewish teachings on Elijah's encounter with God on Mt. Horeb explain that the wind represented the fleeting life of man upon the earth. The earthquake represented the day of a man's death, which makes man tremble and quake. The fire represented the tribunal of Gehenna, and the still voice represented the last judgment, where God will have the last and final word. Other writings say that Elijah guides pious souls and helps them on their ascent into heaven, where Elijah looks down from above and chronicles the lives of the children of men who dwell upon the earth. And just as Elijah escaped death he has power over the Angel of Death, and comes to warn people of their soul's upcoming departure. Among the Jewish Rabbis and Sages the prophet Elijah has influenced Jewish thought for centuries, and he has also played a significant role in Jewish mysticism. For as it is said, “What Moses was for the Torah, Elijah was for the Kabbalah.”
In the world of Christianity, the prophet Elijah is also highly revered. For in the Gospels of the New Testament do we find even Christ Himself making mention of Elijah on more than one occasion. It was also Christ Who compared the preaching of John the Baptist with the return of Elijah who is to come (Matthew 11:14). Also, when Christ asked His disciples what the people were saying about Him, some said that Jesus was Elijah (Matthew 16:13-14). Now due to Christ referring to John the Baptist as the return of Elijah, this has led some to believe that John the Baptist was in fact the reincarnation of Elijah. However, the belief in reincarnation is something totally foreign to the teachings of the Orthodox Church. An example from the Gospels, which debunks this myth, is found during the Transfiguration of Christ where Elijah appears along with Moses. If John the Baptist was the reincarnation of Elijah, then should there have really been two men representing Elijah instead of one? Doesn't this sounds odd? So looking at it this way the theory of reincarnation can easily be written off, especially since Christ came to save individual souls. If people kept being reincarnated until they got it right, then Christ need not have been incarnated. We truly only get one shot at salvation in this life, for as it is written, “...it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27).
When it comes to the subject of the end times, Elijah plays a very special role. For concerning the last days, the return of Christ, and the end of the world, the Lord speaking through prophet Malachi says, “Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” (Malachi 4:5). So this passage tells us that Elijah will physically return to earth prior to the second coming of Christ, but did not return solely in the spiritual symbolism of the person of St. John the Baptist. Being a bit perplexed, the disciples of Jesus asked Him why the scribes taught that before the end comes Elijah must come first? Jesus acknowledged this teaching and confirmed that Elijah truly does come first, and shall restore all things (Matthew 17:10-11). This prophecy of Christ dealing with the return of Elijah in the last days, may be further explained by studying the book of Revelation. For in the eleventh chapter of Revelation are we introduced to the two witnesses, who are given power from God to shut heaven that it rain not, to turn water to blood, and to smite the earth with plagues, as often as they will (Revelation 11:6). These two witnesses, who are also described as the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth, are believed to be the prophets Enoch and Elijah. Just as Enoch was translated, Elijah too was taken up and both will return to earth to prophesy during the first half of the seven year period known as the Great Tribulation, and ultimately these two holy ones will be killed by the forces of the Anti-Christ.
Now among all the various omens, clues, and history changing events which will herald the nearness of the last days, the return of the prophet Elijah will stand out as an unmistakable sign of the end of the world as we know it. For the coming of Elijah, and his fiery preaching, will ultimately serve as the harbinger of the second coming of Jesus Christ. Along with the prophet Enoch, Elijah's return mission will be one of a call to repentance for all those living on the earth during the time and reign of the Anti-Christ. Through the preaching of Enoch and Elijah, God will give all the inhabitants of the earth a golden opportunity to repent of their sins and accept Christ before its too late. For as previously mentioned, the Bible tells us that these two witnesses will be killed, but instead of morning over the death of the prophets, the people of earth will rejoice and will send each other gifts in celebration, because the two prophets tormented the people by their preaching. But after three days they will rise from the dead, which will cause great fear to fall upon those who see them. They will then hear a great voice from heaven saying unto them, “Come up hither!” And they will ascend up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies shall behold them (Revelation 11:10-12).
As we continue in this analysis of the life of the holy prophet Elijah are we faced with the mystery of the current whereabouts of the prophet Elijah. Now the Bible says that Elijah went up in a whirlwind into heaven, but before Christ incarnated and was raised from the dead, no human soul could enter heaven, let alone a human body wherein sin is still active. For as Christ Himself said, “...no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven” (John 3:13). At first glance this may seem like a contradiction, but by looking elsewhere in God's Holy Word the heaven that Elijah ascended to may be better understood and the paradox clarified. For instance, in II Corinthians 12:2 St. Paul mentions that there are at least three heavens. Also many times in the scriptures heaven can be described as where God's throne is located and at other times it may also refer to the sky or atmosphere. So Elijah may have went up into heaven, meaning the sky or the atmosphere, but he did not enter the third heaven into the presence of Holy God. Enoch too must abide in a place outside of heaven proper, for according to the book of Jubilees Enoch is now safely protected in the Garden of Eden (Jubilees 4:23). For the Fathers of the Church teach that Eden is in a state between corruptibility and incorruptibility. Therefore the Garden of Eden is much better suited to presently sustain human life before the resurrection of the dead when God's people will be given incorruptible bodies which will be able to withstand the holy presence of the Almighty God in heaven. Thus Elijah, along with Enoch, may currently reside in the Garden of Eden, patiently awaiting their return to earth to preach to an apostate world during the first half of Great Tribulation. Additionally, some have even speculated that Enoch and Elijah walk among us today unbeknownst to the inhabitants of the earth.
In conclusion, the earthly life of the holy prophet Elijah was one filled with the vocal uttering of ominous prophecies and the physical acts of performing wondrous miracles. His flaming zeal for God and his blameless life equaled that of the angels. Through the power of the Almighty God, which was present and active within him, Elijah was able to send down both fruitfulness and barrenness upon the earth. Also, the most good God wishing to save His people (the children of Israel) from the deception of Baal, chose Elijah as the instrument of His holy will and clothed Elijah with divine authority, that he might convert the unbelieving, correct transgressors, and enlighten the ignorant. As St. James writes, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” (James 5:17-18). For due to his closeness to God and his unique relationship with his creator, Elijah was given the supernatural ability of controlling the natural elements and possessed all power over nature, so that the forces of creation were under the subjection of his empowered will. The prophet Elijah stands out in all of human history as a man completely devoted to the Lord, and also serves as a shining example of what it means for a person to have perfect obedience towards God's holy will and commandments. For the prophet Elijah will always and forever define to a fallen world what it truly means to be a genuine man of God.
References:
Doory, L. Elijah: The Harbinger of Armageddon. (Create Space Independent Publishing, 2018).
Jackson, J.B. A Dictionary of the Proper Names of the Old and New Testament Scriptures.(Mansfield Centre, CT: Martino Publishing, 2016).
Nelson. The Holy Bible, New King James Version. (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1984).
Strong, J. The New Strong's Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2010).
Whiston, W. Josephus: The Complete Works. (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1998).
Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).
