An image of Elijah. Original artist unknown.
Elijah's Origins
Elijah was born in the town of Thisbe, which is in Galaad in the lands given to the Napthali. His original Hebrew name is 'Eliyah, which translates into 'my God is Yahweh'; he also is known as Elias. His original occupation is unknown, but it is thought he was a shepherd before he heard God's call.
Elijah first appears in 1 Kings before king Ahab and his queen Jezebel. He opens with these words to them-"As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, during these years there shall be no dew or rain except at my word.(1 Kings, 17:1)" After this threat, Elijah started in earnest to spread the message God instructed him to send to his people.
A reconstruction of a 13th portrayal of Elijah being fed by ravens as promised by God. They came to him as he hid in the Wadi Cherith after first confronting the king and queen. Note: A wadi can be described as a valley or a dry riverbed.
Question: What threat did Elijah make to king Ahab and queen Jezebel? (The answers throughtout the site are backwards)
Answer:.ti delliw eh sselnu emoc dluow niar oN.
Elijah's Message
Elijah was instructed by God, like all the other prophets, to give a specific message to his audience. In this case, Elijah was warning the people of the northern kingdom of the evil and sinful path they were walking. He spoke openly against his own people, unlike other false prophets like the 450 prophets of Baal (a god of fertility). False prophets told the people what they wanted to hear: the damnation of their enemies and how God would lift them up to even greater status as his chosen people. They did this for personal gain and wealth, and were never truly speaking for God like Elijah and the other prophets. That said, Elijah's message condemning the people because of their sins was not taken well. like other prophets he faced scorn, ridicule, fear, and even open hostility. He had to constantly move around to escape his enemies, hiding in the wilderness where he was fed by the grace of God, or in the homes of those who were sypathetic to his message. One such instance tells of how he raised the son of a widow who took him in from the dead, though this may be one of the legends surrounding the prophet.
Elijah spoke out openly about the sins of every level of society. He chastized the highest people in society-the wealthy- for their greed. They had the means to help the poor and those in need, but instead they lay around all day doing no work. They also exploited the people to do their work while they profited off of it. To the middle class of merchants he also accused them of greed by a different means. They took advantage of the poor by buying their crops at extremely low prices, then sold it many times more than they paid for it. He went to every person, comdemning them for their practices of idolatry. The people had taken to worshipping other gods, and were going through the rituals with no heart in them. God scorned them for this reason.
Question: Was Elijah's message recieved well in Israel?
Elijah & the prophets of Baal
Elijah calls on God to set fire to his offering while the prophets of Baal fail to invoke the power of their god.
Three years into his preaching God came to Elijah and told him to appear before Ahab and Jezebel. He asks them to bring the people of Israel and the 450 prophets of Baal to Mount Carmel where they shall decide whose god is the true one.
When they had all gathered at Mount Carmel, Elijah suggests that they build two altars of wood, and place a slaughtered bull on each. The prophets of Baal and Elijah would each call on their god, and the one who set fire to the altar would be declared the true god. He then asks the people of Israel-"How long will you straddle the issue? If the LORD is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.(1 Kings 18:21)" The prophets of Baal called on their god in vain, but once they failed, Elijah called on his god."LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known on this day that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things by your command. Answer me, LORD! Answer me, that this people may know that you, LORD, are God and that you have brought them back to their senses.(1 Kings 18:36-37)" (This may be my favorite quote in the Bible). After this, God sent down fire that consumed the entire altar. The people tool Yahweh as their true god, and Elijah had all of the prophets of Baal killed.
Question: What did Elijah suggest either Yahweh or Baal send down to prove they are the true god?
Answer:.erif nwod dnes meht fo eno tahT
Legends of Elijah
Elijah ascends into heaven on a flaming chariot with angels. Elisha, his successor, can be seen watching in the bottom of the picture.
There are many legends surrounding the figure of Elijah. He has no book of his own in the Bible, and many accounts of him vary in the telling of the events. Two of the biggest legends are his ascendance into heaven, and the belief in his coming again.
After choosing Elisha as his successor, he was said to have taken him out into the wilderness. Elijah was never seen again, save one last time by Elisha. He is said to have risen into heaven without dying. He was apparently taken up into heaven in a flaming chariot, escorted by angels. Where he was then is an even greater mystery that is answered in the belief that Elijah is in heaven awaiting to return in the Second Coming of Elijah. This is supposed to herald the Second Coming of Christ at the end of time. The origin of these legends are unknown.
Question: How was Elijah supposedly taken into heaven?
Answer:.toirahc gnimalf a yb nevaeh otni thguorb saw eH
Here are the books I used to compile my information.
If you're looking for some other interesting websites for information on Elijah:
ChristiansUnite.com
NewAdvent.com
(All information on this website has been borrowed from another source and may have been misquoted. If you have any comments,thoughts for improvement, or responses to this site or about any of this content then you can contact me at riles3320@swbell.net.