Elijah
Elijah (Standard Hebrew אֱלִיָּהוּ Eliyyáhu'), also Elias (NT Greek Hλίας) and Ilia (NT Bulgarian Илия), is a prophet of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. His name has been variously translated as "the Lord is God," "whose God is the Lord," "God the Lord," "the strong Lord," "God of the Lord," "my God is the Lord," "the Lord is my God," and "my God is Jehovah." He is sometimes known as "The Tishbite," being from the town of Tishbe.
From these Biblical roots, which describe Elijah as both a milennial prophet and as a divinely-inspired wonder worker, he became an important figure for Christianity, Islam and many modern traditions (including Mormonism).
Elijah in the Jewish Tradition
In the Jewish tradition, Elijah is famed as both a wonder-worker and as a harbinger of the coming messiah. He is first introduced in the Hebrew Bible as a foil to the villainous King Ahab, an idolatrous monarch who ruled Israel in the first half of the ninth century B.C.E. The nefarious ruler is primarily notable for his rejection of the Israelite temple tradition in favor of devotion to Baal, a Canaanite / Mesopotamian fertility god. His reign is characterized by a period of droughts, epidemics and famines - all presumed to be caused by an aggrieved YHVH (following the Deuteronomistic theology of the Book of Kings). It is in this context that Elijah emerges, delivering a stern warning to King Ahab and advising him to repent his polytheistic ways.
After having delivered this message to the apostate king, Elijah retired (at the command of God) to a hiding-place by the brook Cherith, beyond Jordan, where he was fed by ravens. When the brook dried up, God sent him to live with the widow of Zarephath who supported him for two years. During this period, the widow's son died and was restored to life by Elijah (1 Kings 17:2-24).
At the close of this period of retirement and preparation, Elijah met Obadiah (an officer of King Ahab) and bade him go and tell his master that Elijah was there. The king came to meet Elijah, and reproached him as the "troubler of Israel" for criticizing his public conversion to the religion of Baal. In response, Elijah proposed that he and the priests of Baal should each make public sacrifices to their respective gods, and, based on the perceived reception of these offerings, determine whether Baal or the Israelite God was the true Divinity. The contest took place on Mount Carmel, where the Baalite priests were, due to divine intervention, unable to light their sacrificial fires; Elijah, on the other hand, was able to light soaking wet wood at the altar to YHWH. This miracle convinced those watching that Baal was false and that the YHWH (יהוה) was the only true God. As the gathered crowds toasted the Israelite God's victory, Elijah ordered that the prophets of Baal be put to death.
Jezebel, the wife of Ahab and chief proponent of the religion of Baal, became enraged at the fate that had befallen her priests and threatened have Elijah killed (1 Kings 19:1-13). Elijah escaped to Beersheba and was visited in the night by an angel, who offered him heavenly food for his flight into the wilderness. Having partaken of the divine provision, he went forward on a forty day trek to Mt. Horeb, a journey that numerically and thematically paralleled Noah's forty day sojourn in the ark and Moses's forty years of wandering in the desert. Upon reaching the mountain, Elijah was visited by the Lord YHWH, who ordered him to return to civilization in order to anoint Hazael (king over the Arameans (Syria)), Jehu (king over Israel), and Elisha (his divinely chosen prophetic successor) (1 Kings 19:13-21; compare 2 Kings 8:7-15; 9:1-10).
After his return to human society, he continued to attack and criticize the apostate reigns of Ahab and (later) his son, Ahaziah. Traditional lore implies that, at this time, he may have been in retirement on Mount Carmel. Soon after, he was informed that the time of his ascendence to Heaven drew near (2 Kings 2:1-12), so he went down to Gilgal and met his successor Elisha, who he had anointed some years before. Elisha became solemn at the thought of his master's leaving him, and refused to be parted from him. The two traveled to Bethel and Jericho, and crossed the Jordan, where the elder prophet (in another Mosaic parallel) "divided hither and thither" the waters of the river. When they arrived at the borders of Gilead, "Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." Elisha, watching his mentor disappear into the heavens, was able to catch his predecessor's mantle as is fluttered to the ground. In this way, Elisha was delivered "a double portion" of the older prophet's spirit (2 Kings 2:9), as the receipt of the older prophet's mantle alludes to the preference shown to the first-born son in the division of the father's estate (Deuteronomy 21:17).
It is believed that the prophet Elijah shall return to foretell the coming of the Jewish Messiah. The depth of the impression made by Elijah "on the mind of the nation" of Israel can be judged from the prevailing belief that Elijah would again appear for the relief and restoration of the country. One example of this belief is articulated in Malachi (4:5, 6). [EXPAND! How is this idea traced through later literature (including Psalms, exilic writings and rabbinic teachings)?]
The Elijah spoken of in 2 Chronicles 21:12-15 is supposed by some to be a different person than the prophet described above. Those who accept this interpretation suggest that this second invdividual lived in the time of Jehoram, to whom he sent a letter of warning (compare 1 Chr. 28:19; Jeremiah 36), and that he acted as a prophet in Judah. By way of contrast, the Tishbite was a prophet of the northern kingdom. However, there does not seem any necessity for concluding that the writer of this letter was some other Elijah than the Tishbite. The events of 2 Kings 2 may not be recorded in chronological order, and thus there may be room for the opinion that Elijah was still alive in the beginning of Jehoram's reign.
Elijah in the Christian Tradition
Not one of the Old Testament prophets is so frequently referenced in the New Testament as Elijah. The priests and Levites said to John the Baptist (John 1:25), "Why, then, dost thou baptize, if thou art not the Christ, nor Elijah?" Paul (Romans 11:2) refers to an incident in the prophet's history to illustrate his argument that God had not cast away His people. Further, James (5:17) uses him an illustration of the power of prayer. (See also Luke 4:25; 9:54.)
Many parallels can be found between the characterizations of Elijah and John the Baptist. Both figures dramatically and sternly critiqued worldly authorities that they saw as morally or religiously bankrupt (1 Kings 18, 2 Kings 1, Luke 9:8). We can alse see parallels in their connection with the wilderness, their long retirements in the desert, the sudden, startling commencement of their respective ministries (1 Kings 17:1; Luke 3:2), and even in their dress (hairy garments and leathern girdles about the loins (2 Kings 1:8; Matthew 3:4)). The equation between the two is overtly made in the Matthew 11:11, where John the Baptist is described as the Elijah that "was to come" (Matthew 11:11, 14). Similarly, Jesus testified that the prophesied coming of Elijah was realized in none other than John the Baptist (Matthew 17:12 - See also 16:14; 17:10; Mark 9:11; 15:35; Luke 9:7, 8; John 1:21)).
The milennial climate of the early Common Era was likely responsible for this identification; the Hebrew world was in uproar, and it was assumed that the end times were nigh. Indeed, in describing Elijah's literal appearance at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9), the gospel writers do not ascribe any feelings of shock to the disciples. They were "sore afraid", but (apparently) not surprised.
Some Christian theologians of a conservative, pre-millennial perspective believe that Elijah must eventually return to physically die here on earth, perhaps as one of the 'two witnesses' described in the Book of Revelation (11:2-12). This plays into many eschatological scenarios. Conversely, conservatives who come from amillennial or preterist positions would probably see John the Baptist himself as a fulfillment of this expectation, in the time of Jesus. Christian theologians of a more liberal persuasion would tend to interpret Elijah's eschatological significance in a less literal sense.
Elijah (Ilia) In Other Traditions
The Biblical tales of Elijah, which describe him as both a milennial prophet and as a divinely-ordained wonder worker, have defined a figure that can be used in multiple contexts and to various ends. Perhaps this accounts for the enthusiastic acceptance of the Elijah tradition by other religious faiths.
For example, the Muslim tradition sees Elijah as a prophet, with the Turks believing that Ilia (Elijah) and Job were buried at Eyyup Nebi, near Viranşehir. Likewise, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints also acknowledge Ilia (Elijah) as a prophet. Latter-Day Saints believe that, in 1836, an angelic Ilia (Elijah) visited the founder of their church, Joseph Smith, Jr. in the Kirtland Temple in Kirtland, Ohio and gave him the sacred power to seal families together. As a final example, the Christian missionaries who converted Slavic tribes found Elijah to be an ideal analogy for Perun, the supreme Slavic god of storms, thunder and lightning bolts (due to the former's ascension to Heaven in a fiery chariot). In many Slavic countries, Elijah is known as "Elijah the Thunderer" (Ilija Gromovik), who drives the heavens in chariot and administers rain and snow, thus actually taking the place of Perun in many popular beliefs.
Ilia (Ilyas) In Islam
The figure of Elijah (pronounced Ilia (Ilyas) (Arabic إلياس)) is seen as an important prophet of Islam, and is mentioned by name in the Qur'an. Indeed, the Qur'annic account bears many striking similarities to the tale told in 1 and 2 Kings (summarized above).
In this account, Ilia (Ilyas) is born into a kingdom fragmented by the death of its wise and pious monarch, whose demise allowed the influence of Satan to become widespread among the people of Israel. The religious people were mocked. The ruler of Samaria killed a large number of learned people. When the evil reached a boiling point, God sent Ilia (Ilyas) to reform mankind during the reign of King Ahab of Israel. He tried his best to save the people from polytheism. He forbade them to worship the Tyrian Baal and advised them to ward off evil and worship One God. Unfortunately, his efforts bore no fruit.
In response, he appeared before the king and foretold that a severe drought and famine would overtake the kingdom. Ilia (Ilyas) added that the Tyrian Baal would be powerless to avert it. The people paid no heed to his warnings and did not mend their ways. The prophecy of Ilia (Ilyas) turned out to be true and whole of the kingdom experienced famine.
The people began to starve. After three years, Ilia (Ilyas) prayed to God to show mercy to the famine stricken people. They acknowledged the authority of God and felt regret. Soon after the rain ended the drought, God lifted his curses. After this Ilia (Ilyas) was directed by God to call upon Al-Yasa to be his successor. Ilia (Ilyas) did this and disappeared mysteriously.
[Expand! How is this account applied to later Muslim belief and practice? Is Ilia ascension used as a parallel for Muhammed's miraj (journey to Heaven)?]
Ilia (Elias) in Mormonism
In the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, the name/title Elias is not 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 Ilia (Messiah) last. Elias is a forerunner to prepare the way, and the spirit and power of Ilia (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" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 340).
People to whom the title Elias is applied in Mormonism include Noah, the angel Gabriel (considered to be the same person as Noah), Elijah, John the Baptist, John the Apostle, and an unspecified man who was a contemporary of Abraham. (See LDS Bible Dictionary s.v. Elias.)
[Expand! Is Joseph Smith an Elias? Are any of the milennial aspects of the tales of Elijah present in Mormon belief?]
Ilia (Helios) In Paganism
The name Ilia may also have be derived from the pagan Greek name Helios/Elios (spelled Ηλιος in Greek), which literally means "sun." It is known that the name existed for males in ancient Greece1 . At this time, the cult worshipping the sun God Helios was well established by all Greeks, despite being eventually replaced by Apollo. This implies the ancient name was derived from the name of the god.
When Christianity was eventually made the official religion of the Roman Empire, a lot of pagan customs, names, and even gods were incorporated into the new religion. This was to ensure that the subjects of the empire could transition easily into the new religion. Aspects of the Helios tradition, including the god's name and imagery, were incorporated into the religion.
One telling piece of evidence is how in pagan times, the peaks of mountains were reserved for temples to Helios, the sun god. This was because it was the point closest to his presence. However in modern Greece, the highest peaks of any region are named after Prophet Elijah (Ilia or προφητης Ηλιας).
External links
- Elijah Details various events in the life of Elijah and relates Elijah to the Passover/Pesach story.
- Jewish Encyclopedia Entry on Elijah
- Catholic Encyclopedia Entry on Elijah
- Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Cosmic Voyages - Mentions (in passing) the story of Elijah being carried up to heaven in a flaming chariot as an inspiration for human flight
- Elijah by Rob Bradshaw Extensive dictionary style article.
- Biblaridion magazine: Elijah redivivus: The role of Elijah in New Testament eschatology
- "The Plain Truth why only Herbert W. Armstrong can be the Endtime Elijah" by Geoffrey R. Neilson
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