Instead, the prophet slept, and an angel brought him food. Answer: Enoch and Elijah, and their apparent disappearance, mystifies many readers of God's word. How did he write this letter? 21:13 but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot as the house of Ahab played the harlot, and you have also killed your brothers, your own family, who were better than you. Elijah called on the Lord, and God's fire fell from heaven, consuming the offering, the wood, the altar, the water, and even the dust around it.​​. As we’ve said, the timing of Elijah’s departure is an assumption, since scripture never specifies the exact date of Elijah’s removal. We know the writer described Elijah’s departure from his perspective on the ground, so the writer could only say that Elijah was taken into the shamayim (i.e., the sky). The idolaters sacrificed a bull and cried out to Baal from morning until nightfall, even slashing their skin until blood flowed, but nothing happened. Afraid, Elijah ran to the wilderness, sat under a broom tree, and in his despair, asked God to take his life. Elijah went on to prophesy the deaths of Ahab, King Ahaziah, and Jezebel. Confident of the power of God, Elijah challenged the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of the false god Asherah to a showdown on Mount Carmel. Furthermore, Paul says Christ is the first fruits of the resurrection (1Cor 15:23), which means He was the first to enter Heavenly in bodily form. Designed and developed by VBVMI in partnership with Giles-Parscale. In 2Chron 21 we read this: Notice that Elijah sent a letter to Jehoram, who is the son of Jehoshaphat of Judah. The Bible states that "Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven" (2 Kings 2:11 2 Kings 2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. The text in 2Kings 3 doesn’t say Elijah was dead but only that he wasn’t present. (NIV), 2 Kings 2:11As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. The LORD-he is God!" God ordered Elijah to anoint his successor, Elisha, whom he found plowing with 12 yoke of oxen. God can use you in amazing ways as well if you surrender yourself to his will. ", All the People Raised From the Dead in the Bible, Biography of Elijah, Old Testament Prophet, Biblical Baby Boy Names: From Aaron to Zechariah. Later, Elijah meets prophets of Baal to determine which tribal god is supreme; as the story goes, Elijah "wins" when Jehovah answers his prayers. At grass roots people either believe in God and the Bible as God's word, or they don't. Elijah's last recorded and dated act occurred during the reign of the Israelite king Ahaziah when Elijah told the king he would die for his sins (2 Kings 1:3, 17). Elijah went to Ahaziah and proclaimed the king would die from his sickness, a prophecy that was soon fulfilled. This other prayer took place after the showdown at Mount Carmel, when Elijah had to run for his life because Ahab’s wife had vowed to hunt Elijah down until he was dead. Like Enoch, Elijah did not die. Christ said that no man could reach the Father except through Him: Had it been possible for the Father to permit sinful men (like Enoch or Elijah) to enter His presence in bodily form before Christ’s death and resurrection, then the Father would have had no need for Christ to die on the cross! He had a servant douse the sacrifice and wood with four jars of water, three times until all was thoroughly soaked. He loyally carried out the Lord's instructions and struck boldly in the face of enormous opposition. The Lord was patient with him, however, letting him rest and regain his strength for future service. Furthermore, it is theologically impossible for a man to precede Christ into Heaven. In this case, the writer chose to record Elijah’s departure earlier than it happened perhaps to emphasize Elisha’s role as the primary prophet during Elijah's declining years. Elijah and Enoch. James 5:16b-18 tells us, “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Based on other scripture, we must assume their souls were transferred to Abraham’s Bosom (see Luke 16) to await the arrival of Messiah just like all Old Testament saints. God also performed many miracles through Elijah, including resurrection, bringing fire down from the sky, and entering Heaven alive"by fire". Twice each day the Lord had bread and meat delivered to Elijah by unusual means – ravens. What Does the Bible Say About Depression? After a stunning victory on Mount Carmel, Elijah fell into depression. 1 Kings 17-19 The Message (MSG). Elijah confronted Ahab for his idolatry and challenged Baal’s prophets on Mount Carmel. But when the prophet was told of the queen’s persistent rejection to the new call for reformation, it was more than he could stand. The writer says Elijah was taken “to Heaven” but the Hebrew word for heaven is shamayim, which can take one of three distinct meanings: the sky, outer space or God’s throne room. The Bible says clearly “no man” preceded Christ, which rules out any exceptions. Based on 2Chron 21, we know this assumption must be wrong. Carmel, Elijah was exalted by the hand of God (1 Kings 18). Some have argued that he was only translated to some other place on earth. In 2Kings 3, Jehoshaphat called for a prophet, but only Elisha was present and ministering at this time. Elijah, a biblical prophet is one of the most interesting characters in the Bible. Then Elijah fled to the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan River, where ravens brought him bread and meat. Apparently, Elijah was living elsewhere. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD-he is God! 2 When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. While 2Kings 2-3 may imply Elijah was removed before Jehoshaphat’s reign, 2Chron 21 explicitly tells us that Elijah was still alive even after Jehoshaphat had died and his successor, Jehoram, as ruling. But Christians include Malachi 21 as their last book in the Old Testament, so the last reference for Christians is at Malachi 4:5-6. Scripture Readings for the First Week of Advent, Scripture Readings for the Fourth Week of Lent, Book of Daniel From the King James Version of the Bible, Elisha: Profile & Biography of Elisha, Old Testament Prophet and Biblical Figure, Israel Tour Pictures: Photo Journal of the Holy Land, M.A., English Composition, Illinois State University, B.S., English Literature, Illinois State University. When the brook dried up, God sent Elijah to live with a widow in Zarephath. Elijah stood up boldly for God in a time when idolatry had swept his land. Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab who ruled the kingdom of Israel. To please Jezebel, Ahab had altars erected to Baal, and the queen murdered God's prophets. Did Elijah go to heaven? Under God's guidance, Elijah struck a heavy blow against the evil of false gods. When the brook dried up, the Lord sent Elijah to the home of a poor widow. Here are seven Bible verses about Elijah the Prophet. After many hours, Elijah built an altar to God, soaked it in water and asked God to send fire. The authoritative Reese’s Chronological Bible says that Elijah went up into the whirlwind about 868 B.C. Nothing more is said about his destination after death. During the victory on Mt. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I … Elijah appeared before King Ahab to announce God's curse: "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." Elijah’s final mention in the Old Testament is a bit complicated and confusing. As a result we know that whatever happened to Elijah that day did not include him ascending into heaven. On the other hand, scripture says definitively that no man entered into Heaven before Christ. First Kings 17:1 “Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God Therefore, we conclude that Elijah was still alive during Jehoram’s reign. However, the Bible teaches us that Elijah and Enoch never died but went to heaven. Elijah stretched himself on the boy's body three times, and God restored the child's life. All rights reserved. Copyright Restrictions Other references include 2 Chronicles 21:12-15; Malachi 4:5,6; Matthew 11:14, 16:14, 17:3-13, 27:47-49; Luke 1:17, 4:25,26; John 1:19-25; Romans 11:2-4; James 5:17,18. Jehoshaphat of Judah prophet, but he could until he he was only human, like.. My God is Yah ( weh ). `` century B.C water, three until! 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