In folk tradition, Saint Elijah in the Bible is depicted as riding through the sky in a chariot with wheels of flame. Thundering and striking devils with a whip of fire. He is also said to be the bringer of rain and to be able to cause severe storms. By reading this article, you will find the answers you are looking for about Saint Elijah, the Prophet.
He did what others did not; he escaped the sword of Queen Jezebel with the help of the Lord God of Israel.
God Himself ignited the Bibleraised fire. So the significance of the chariot of fire is mirrored in the chariots of the Egyptians, who were inflated by God, who lit the altar of Elijah’s fire. At the same time, Baal, even after dozens of hours, did not raise even a single flame.
In addition, Elijah is thought to be a man who can bring rain, for, at the court of Queen Jezebel, he threatened that there would be a drought in Egypt because of the hardness of her heart for years. He went and prayed to the Lord, and the rain stopped for years.
Why is Elijah important in the Bible?
Elijah is considered the bringer of rain after his prayer saved the people of Israel from death after three and a half years of drought. But also as a popular deity of the Sun and fire, attested by numerous traditions and customs. Also, the legend of Elijah is entirely atypical: a mortal who was allegedly guilty of very great sins, including killing his parents after being tempted by the devil, repented, and received God’s forgiveness.
Elijah is important in the Bible because he, along with the prophet Moses, was the only one left to save the Christian religion. He is challenging the Egyptians to build an altar to Baal. And he to God and whose altar will be lit, there is a living God.
He was lifted to Heaven, and since then, he has been traveling the clouds. In a chariot with wheels of fire and drawn by winged horses. And he was beating devils with a whip of fire.
How did Elijah restore the true worship of Yahweh?
There is a biblical moment in the episode where Elijah challenges the priests of Baal to a “duel.” After warning King Ahab, who had embraced the cult of Baal, of the impending plague of drought after three and a half years of drought (no rain and dew on Israel). St. Elijah proposes to Ahab and Jezebel. The leading promoters of idolatrous worship. Gather all the priests of the God Baal on Mount Carmel. He asks them to choose whom they should serve: God or Baal.
The prophet Elijah restored faith in Yahweh through God’s help. By raising a fire against Baal and being kindled by Yahweh Himself. In front of many Israelites, the Holy Prophet Elijah raises two altars in honor of the two deities: Baal and God. He placed an ox on each altar. He then encourages the 450 priests of Baal and 400 prophets of the goddess Asherah. To summon fire from Heaven to burn the sacrifice.
But their long cry to Baal from the pagan priests, accompanied by ritual dancing and self-mutilation, goes unanswered.
Who called down fire from Heaven?
The Baal tribe was involved in ritual self-mutilations, orgies, and bloody sacrifices – including child sacrifice. We are talking about a genuinely demonic cult. Which had spread to all of Israel, so Elijah believed at one point that he was the only righteous one left, the only one not worshipping Baal. Those priests had their hands and consciences stained with the blood of many innocents. Then, in the proposed duel, Elijah, in the Bible, puts his life on the line. If he had lost, he would have been the one killed by Baal’s priests. Who would have had no hesitation in torturing and stabbing him? So the duel was fair. And Elijah is merely abiding by the terms agreed to by both sides.
Elijah is the one who summoned¹ fire from Heaven. When he begins to pray, he immediately rains down fire from Heaven, devouring the sacrifice offered and the wood, the stones, the dust, and even the water in the ditch. The miracle leaves no room for interpretation; the fire that comes down from Heaven and consumes everything is of divine origin.
The descent of the fire reveals the true God to the assembled crowd, which is why the servants of the idols end up stabbed by the prophet’s hand on the banks of the brook of Kishon.
What was the chariot of fire in the Bible?
According to the text of 4 Kings 2:11, the Holy Prophet Elijah was lifted to Heaven in a chariot of fire. The episode is well-known. However, a chariot, even a chariot of fire, must be driven by someone. Elijah’s ascent to Heaven is not a simple aerial journey but shows the ascent spiritually to God of a soul cleansed as in a fire of sins. Elijah thus became a theological model. The ascent to Heaven is accessible to man only through Christ, whom Malachi prophetically calls “the Sun of Righteousness.”
The chariot of fire symbolizes the power of God with which Elijah was clothed. Whose fire was kindled on the altar, and whose God raised him to Heaven? Using a chariot with horses covered with fire. Legends also say that Elijah in the Bible was a householder with a very quick temper. So He would kill his visiting parents and then go to God and ask for forgiveness, receiving a chariot and a fiery whip to slay the devils who had him.
How old was Elijah when he was taken to Heaven?
In popular belief, it is also said that demons flee from their path. And come to earth, where they hide under trees or even in the bodies of animals. So one of the superstitions related to St. Elijah is that if thunder and lightning strike. People must make the cross sign because God gave Elijah permission to strike anything to strike down demons, except the cross.
When God took him into His wings, Elijah was 34 years old.
He is a solar and meteorological deity, and Elijah causes thunder, lightning, heavy rain, and fires. So it is also said that anyone who works on his memorial day angers Saint Elijah, who sends thunder, hail, and rain on people.
Hometown
- Tishbe in Gilead in ancient Palestine.
Primary Takeaways
- Saint Elijah is considered the bringer of rain after his prayer saved the people of Israel from death after three and a half years of drought. But also as a popular deity of the Sun and fire.
- Every year, on 20 July, Orthodox Christians celebrate the saint who brings rain. But also the deity who, angered by people, hurls² hail and lightning.
- He is known to be able to cause terrible storms and bring much rain wherever he wants.
Key Verse
“And Elijah the Tishbite, [who was] of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab. As the LORD God of Israel lived, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.”
1 Kings 17:1
Biography of Elijah
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We will find St. Elijah at the end of time, prophesying with Enoch for twelve hundred and sixty days. Both Old Testament righteous men will be clothed in sackcloth as they expose the lies of the Antichrist. At the end of the confession, Elijah in the Bible and Enoch will be killed, and many will rejoice in their deaths. But after three days, Elijah and Enoch were resurrected by God. So we are told that everyone will be watching the confession of the two olive trees and their killing and resurrection.
Thanks for your time! I hope you have learned what you have been waiting for about the Prophet of the Ages.
