The Greatest Prophet of the Old Testament
The life of the prophet Elijah.
While prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel penned entire books of prophecy by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21), Elijah has no such book. Yet, he is perhaps the most influential prophet besides Moses in the Old Testament.
At the beginning of this study, we briefly considered Samuel’s role in the transition from the judges to the kings in Israel. Now, we will study Elijah’s role in the nation.
Ahab and Elijah.
Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath.
After Elijah prophesied a drought to King Ahab, he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, where God took care of him until the brook dried up (1 Kings 17:1-7).
Then, the Lord sent Elijah to Zarephath in Sidon where He had commanded a widow to provide for Elijah (1 Kings 17:8-9). Sidon was the homeland of Queen Jezebel (1 Kings 16:31) and was a pagan nation.
When Elijah arrives, he finds the widow gathering sticks and asks her for a drink and some bread to eat (1 Kings 17:10-11). The widow responded that she only had enough flour and oil to make one final meal for her son and herself (1 Kings 17:12). Elijah comforts her by saying:
"Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'The bin 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.' " (1 Kings 17:13-14)
This widow acted in faith, and the flour and oil lasted the length of the drought, just as God said (1 Kings 17:15-16). Jesus used the example of Elijah being sent to the widow in Zarephath to demonstrate how He had been sent to bring the blessings of God to the Gentiles, while the Jews would reject Him and miss out on God’s blessings (Luke 4:16-27).
Sometime later, the widow’s son becomes sick and dies (1 Kings 17:17). The widow is distraught, and accuses Elijah of having come to her to remind her of her sin and to kill her son as punishment (1 Kings 17:18). Elijah takes her son upstairs, and prays to the Lord (1 Kings 17:19-21). The Lord raises the boy from the dead, and the widow says: "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” (1 Kings 17:22-24).
Later on in Scripture, there would be another Son who would die for the sins of others, and be raised to demonstrate the truth of God (John 3:16-17; 1 Peter 2:21-24; Romans 1:4).
Elijah and the Prophets of Baal.
We cover this event in detail in the article about King Ahab.
At Elijah’s command, Ahab gathers 450 prophets of Baal at Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18:1-19), where there is a “contest” to determine whether Baal or the LORD is God. The Lord confirms He is the only true God, the people acknowledge this truth, and the false prophets of Baal are executed (1 Kings 18:20-40).
Afterward, the Lord sends rain in answer to Elijah’s prayers (James 5:17-18) and the drought - which came upon the land because of Israel’s sin - ends (1 Kings 18:41-46).
Elijah Runs from Jezebel.
Jezebel sent a death threat to Elijah when she found out what he had done to her prophets of Baal.
"So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." (1 Kings 19:2)
When Elijah heard this, he ran south into the southern kingdom of Judah. He left his servant in Beersheba (the southernmost city of Judah) and kept going south into the wilderness. After traveling for a day into the wilderness, Elijah sits down under a tree and prays that God would take His life (1 Kings 19:3-4).
Depressed and exhausted, Elijah fell asleep, but God took care of him. He sent an angel to wake Elijah up and give him a meal to eat. This happens twice, and Elijah travels on the strength of that food forty days and nights to Horeb - the mountain of God (1 Kings 19:5-8). Horeb is another name for Sinai.
Elijah spends the night in a cave, and the word of the Lord comes to him and asks, “What are you doing here?” (1 Kings 19:9). Elijah responds:
"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." (1 Kings 19:10)
The Lord tells Elijah to go stand on the mountain before the Lord, and the Lord passes by. A great wind tore into the mountain, breaking rocks off - but the Lord was not in the wind. Afterward, there was an earthquake - but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After that, there was a fire - but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire was a still, small voice, and when Elijah heard the voice, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went and stood at the cave’s entrance. Suddenly, Elijah was asked again, “What are you doing here?” (1 Kings 19:11-13). Elijah gives the same response.
This time, the Lord answers:
"Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him." (1 Kings 19:15-18)
The Lord gives Elijah three tasks.
Go to Damascus and anoint Hazael king of Syria.
Anoint Jehu king over Israel.
Anoint Elisha as God’s prophet in Elijah’s place.
The Lord also tells Elijah, “You’re not all alone - there are 7,000 people in Israel who have remained faithful to Me.” Later on, Paul refers to this passage to make the point that while most of the Jewish people had rejected the gospel of Christ, there were still some - a remnant - who remained faithful to Him (Romans 11:1-5).
After this, Elijah goes and finds Elisha, who follows him (1 Kings 19:19-21).
Elijah’s Message About Ahab’s Family.
Sometime later, the Lord sends word to Elijah after Ahab has seized the vineyard of Naboth, who his wife Jezebel murdered. The prophecy about Ahab’s family is that they will be wiped out - no one will be left (1 Kings 21:17-24).
To Ahab’s credit, he humbles himself before the Lord when he hears this. And the Lord is merciful to Ahab - He says Ahab would not see this happen with his own eyes because he humbled himself before God (1 Kings 21:27-29).
Ahaziah and Elijah.
Ahab’s son, Ahaziah, sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the idol god of Ekron (a Philistine city), whether he would recover from an injury (2 Kings 1:1-2). The angel of the Lord sends Elijah to intercept these messengers with a message from the Lord:
'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?' Now therefore, thus says the LORD: 'You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.' " (2 Kings 1:3-4)
When Ahaziah’s messengers returned sooner than expected, he asked, “Why have you returned?” They respond by telling him a man came to them with a message from the Lord (2 Kings 1:5-6). Ahaziah asks what the man looked like, and they tell him it was “a hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.” Ahaziah knew immediately this was Elijah (2 Kings 1:7-8).
Ahaziah sends a captain with 50 soldiers out to find Elijah. They found him sitting on top of a hill, and the captain ordered, “Man of God, the king has said, 'Come down!' " Elijah responds, If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men." Then fire came down and killed the captain and his 50 soldiers (2 Kings 1:9-10).
This happened a second time (2 Kings 1:11-12), and when the third captain and his 50 soldiers came out, he begged for his life and the lives of his soldiers (2 Kings 1:13-14). The Lord tells Elijah, “Go with him. You don’t have to be afraid of him” (2 Kings 1:15).
When Elijah arrives before Ahaziah, he repeats the message from the Lord about the king’s death, and Ahaziah died according to the Lord’s word spoken by Elijah (2 Kings 1:16-17).
Jehoram and Elijah.
While most of Elijah’s work as a prophet involved the northern kingdom of Israel, he wasn’t limited to the northern kingdom.
King Jehoshaphat’s son, Jehoram, built high places in the mountains of Judah, caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit harlotry, and led the nation away from God (2 Chronicles 21:10-11).
One day, a letter from Elijah arrives for the king.
Thus says the LORD God of your father David: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot like the harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have killed your brothers, those of your father's household, who were better than yourself, behold, the LORD will strike your people with a serious affliction—your children, your wives, and all your possessions; and you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day. (2 Chronicles 21:12-15)
And it all happened just as the Lord said by His prophet Elijah.
Elijah and Elisha.
When the Lord was about to take Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha traveled to Gilgal (2 Kings 2:1). Gilgal was east of Jericho, and was the place where the children of Israel camped when they first crossed the Jordan River (Joshua 4:19).
Elijah tries to get Elisha to stay in Gilgal because the Lord had sent him on to Bethel. Bethel was close to Ai, the site of the second Israelite victory in Canaan (Joshua 8:9). But Elisha refuses to leave Elijah (2 Kings 2:2). When they arrive in Bethel, the sons of the prophets tell Elisha, “Do you know the Lord is taking Elijah away from you today?” Elisha responded he knew, but didn’t want to talk about it (2 Kings 2:3).
Elijah again tries to get Elisha to stay behind - this time in Bethel, because the Lord was sending him to Jericho. Jericho was the place of the Israelite’s first victory after God brought them into the land (Joshua 6). But once again, Elisha refuses to leave Elijah (2 Kings 2:4). More sons of the prophets approach Elisha at Jericho, once again asking if he knew what was about to happen with Elijah, and once more, Elisha said he knew, but didn’t want to talk about it (2 Kings 2:5).
Elijah tried to get Elisha to stay behind in Jericho one final time since the Lord was sending him to the Jordan, but Elisha once again refused to leave Elijah (2 Kings 2:6). 50 of the sons of the prophets watched their journey to Jordan (2 Kings 2:7).
When Elijah and Elisha arrived at the Jordan River, Elijah took off his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water, and it divided. The two men crossed on dry ground, just as the children of Israel had done (2 Kings 2:8; Joshua 3).
There appears to be a “replaying” of the events near the beginning of the book of Joshua - perhaps since there was about to be a similar change from Elijah to Elisha like the one from Moses to Joshua (Joshua 1:1-9).
After they cross, Elijah asks Elisha, “What may I do for you before God takes me away?” Elisha requests a double portion of Elijah’s spirit (2 Kings 2:9). Elijah responds, “That’s a difficult request! If you see me taken from you, may it be so, but if you don’t, it will not happen” (2 Kings 2:10 - NET).
As they were talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire and took Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven (2 Kings 2:11). Elisha saw it, and cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” When Elisha could see Elijah no more, grief set in and he tore his own clothes (2 Kings 2:12).
Elisha picked up Elijah’s mantle that had fallen, went back to the bank of the Jordan River, and struck the water, saying, “Where is the LORD God of Elijah?” And the water parted, the same as it did for Elijah (2 Kings 2:13-14). This demonstrated to Elisha that the Lord would be with him, the same as He had been with Elijah.
John and Elijah.
At the close of the Old Testament, a prophecy was given about the one who would come before the Messiah.
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. (Malachi 4:5-6)
Was Elijah himself going to return to Israel before the coming of the Messiah? Many in Israel thought so, but the New Testament reveals something slightly different than what many thought. Before John was born, an angel of the Lord told Zacharias who his son would be.
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." (Luke 1:17)
The one who came before the Messiah would not be Elijah himself, but one who came “in the spirit and power of Elijah.” John was the one who came to prepare the way for the Lord.
Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" He said: "I am 'THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS: "MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD," ' as the prophet Isaiah said." (John 1:19-23)
John denied being Elijah in the previous passage because the Jewish leaders were asking, “Are you actually Elijah?” John was not, but he explained he was the one who came to prepare the way for the Messiah - fitting the prophecy of Malachi 4:5-6.
Jesus later confirmed that John was indeed “Elijah who is to come” (Matthew 11:14). However, many failed to realize he was the one who came before the Messiah.
And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist. (Matthew 17:10-13)
Jesus and Elijah.
When Jesus was transfigured on “a high mountain,” Moses and Elijah appeared and talked with Him (Matthew 17:3). Moses represented the law while Elijah was the representative of the prophets. Of all the prophets who could have appeared in this moment to represent the Old Testament prophets, Elijah is the one who meets with Jesus.
Peter suggested they could make three tabernacles or tents - one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. But a voice suddenly spoke out of a bright cloud and said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” The Son of God is the only one due such honor from man.
Later, when Jesus was hanging on the cross, He cried out, “"Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?" (Matthew 27:46). Some thought Jesus was calling for Elijah to help Him (Matthew 27:47), while others mocked His cries by saying, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him” (Matthew 27:49).
Prophetic Points.
It’s important for the righteous to strongly trust God’s power.
James, in a section about God’s power, emphasized the role of prayer.
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 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 5:16-18)
We tend to exalt people like Elijah and think they were somehow different or better than us - but James says, “Elijah was just like us.” He was a righteous man who simply trusted completely in God’s power - could the same be said for us?
Do we trust God’s power enough to pray for anything, knowing if the answer to that prayer is according to God’s will, He will hear and answer that prayer (1 John 5:14-15)?
Even the strongest servants of God have low points.
After standing for God as He demonstrated His great power and authority as the only true living God, Elijah runs for his life after receiving a threat against his life from Jezebel.
He runs all the way to Mt Sinai, a defeated, dejected, depressed man.
And yet, God again shows Elijah His great power, but comes to Elijah in a still, small voice - perhaps reminding Elijah that His power is most strongly demonstrated in the weakest things (2 Corinthians 12:7-10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5).
God didn’t discard Elijah at his lowest point. He picked him back up, gave him a purpose and a task to finish, and then took him home. This is a similar message the apostle Paul gave the church in Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11).
Many good points made, Jameson..thank you.