| Elijah
or Elias (flourished 9th century BC), the most popular Hebrew
prophet. The period of his lifetime (see 1 Kings 17-19:21; 2 Kings 1, 2)
was one of social and religious change. Elijah led the struggle against
the idolatrous worship of the Phoenician god Baal, whom Ahab, king of Israel,
had worshiped. During Elijah's struggle against the Baalites he engaged
in a contest of "miracles" with the prophets of Baal and stated
that there would be no rain or dew except at his command. After three years
of drought, Elijah assembled the people of Israel on Mount Carmel, where
he demonstrated the supremacy of God over Baal. Then Elijah had the prophets
of Baal put to death, whereupon the rains came. Elijah reprimanded King
Ahab for the murder of Naboth, the vineyard owner described in 1 Kings
21. The anticipation of Elijah's return to earth, after his death, as the
precursor of the Messiah is based on the account of his removal from earth
in a whirlwind (see 2 Kings 2:11) and finds support also in the words of
Malachi, the last prophet (see Mal. 4:5-6). Jesus Christ declared John
the Baptist to be the spiritual fulfillment of this anticipation, John
being said to have come "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (see
Matthew 11:14, 17:11-13; Mark 9:13; Luke 1:17). In postbiblical Judaism,
Elijah is thought of as an invisible participant in the home celebration
of Passover and in the rites of circumcision. Source: Microsoft Encarta
97 |
TEMPLE
OF ELIJA THE PROPHET![[image]](http://www.ocf.org/OrthodoxPag/icons/data/elias.gif){kind=icon}
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