The Sanctification of Elijah

A few months ago I was wondering why Elijah the prophet was given such a prominent place in the Bible. After all, he didn't write any books, nor were any named after him. I don't believe there is any messianic prophecy credited to him, but he was the subject of much messianic prophecy in both the Old and New Testaments.

Pastor Greg Laurie reminded me of this subject recently on TBN when he spoke about Elijah. That inspired me to study more and write about this amazing man of God.

Elijah the Tishbite appears in 1 Kings 17 with a message for the king:

“As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”

Elijah was bold and brash. He was maybe a little scary, coming from the presence of God. But I see “except by my word” and think of something else.

Elijah was zealous and proud. Maybe not arrogant but definitely self-confident. This is a quality that creates boldness, and perhaps this is why God chose him for this mission. But his story starts before this chapter. It starts with a rugged but simple man in prayer.

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 earth for three years and six months. ‭‭James‬ ‭5:17

When Elijah appeared before Ahab he had already prayed earnestly and the drought had already begun maybe six months earlier. When Elijah said he “stands before God” he meant that he had standing with God, like an appointment or an office to represent God. This gave him the boldness to speak. But after this meeting with the King he had to run and hide for three years.

During this time of severe famine God continued to sanctify Elijah. You can see the result of this in the following chapters. Elijah still had hubris when he spoke to the people on Mount Carmel:

“I alone am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.” ‭‭18:22‬

But when it came to the time to call for rain, Elijah did not make a public spectacle commanding rain to come down, but remembered God’s promise:

“Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.”‭‭‭ 18:1‬

So he went up to pray and wait for the Lord in a posture of humility:

So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees. He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go back” seven times. It came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.”‭‭18:42-44‬

The famine ended and Elijah ran faster than a chariot to Jezreel, possibly assuming that King Ahab would put his wicked Canaanite wife out on the street. Elijah may have thought his troubles were over until he met Jezebel in her wrath. Apparently for the first time in his life Elijah feared for his life. Immediately he ran to hide in the Judean wilderness, then made his way to the mountain of God where got another lesson in humility.

Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” ‭‭19:9-10‬

God brought him to the mountain top and spoke to him, not through a mighty destructive wind or an earth shaking voice or a fiery blast, but in a low whisper:

“What are you doing here Elijah?”

Elijah gave Him the same excuse for a final time:

"I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” 19:14

Now God gave him his marching orders, to anoint other kings of Syria and Israel, and to anoint another prophet named Elisha to replace him. And oh, by the way:

“I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.” ‭‭19:18‬

To this command there was only a response of obedience. Elijah went and did what God told him to do. His mission now was to pass the mantle to Elisha (yes that’s where “pass the mantle” comes from.)

Elijah’s human bravado was broken but his place in God’s heart and in God’s kingdom was lifted to new heights. Elijah humbled himself to resign his special appointment, but God himself exalted Elijah, and soon brought him into His eternal presence escorted by a chariot of fire (yes that’s where that movie got its name).

Elijah’s voice continues to cry out like a voice in the wilderness, calling us to a decision:

“How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” 

Like Elisha

I noticed yesterday that Jesus fulfilled many signs pointed to by Elisha. Here are some examples:

1. Elisha came after Elijah in the spirit of Elijah. Jesus came after John the Baptist, who had the spirit of Elijah.
2. Elisha's first miracle was turning bitter water into drinking water. Jesus' first sign (pointing to his divinity) was turning water into wine.
3. Elisha raised a child from the dead, like Jesus did for Jairus' daughter.
4. Elisha healed a leper, like Jesus did on several occasions. Jesus also compared his ministry to that of Elisha.
5. Elisha prayed to open the eyes of the blind. Jesus opened the eyes of the blind, both spiritually and physically.
6. Elisha fed 100 men with 20 barley loaves and grain, with food left over. Jesus fed 5000 men and their families with 5 loaves and 2 fish, with 12 baskets of leftovers.

This seems to be more than coincidental but I'm not sure I've ever seen commentary on this. Perhaps the signs are pointing to Jesus as one greater than Solomon (the most powerful king), greater than Jonah (the most powerful evangelist), and greater than Elisha (the most powerful prophet).

It seems to me John had something in mind, or rather God had something planned, to be revealed by the sign at the wedding in Cana. The story seems like it could have been another story about Elisha, except that it's Jesus of Nazareth revealing his own divinity. I would be interested in your opinion if you want to leave a comment!

His Name is "Maher Shalal Hash Baz"

I'm reading Isaiah now.  I realized after an intense foray into eschatology (study of end-time prophecy) that having an increased understanding of prophecy is an open door for me to re-read the prophets and discern more of God's word.

 

As a matter of fact, I feel a desperate need to read and understand as quickly as possible because the time is short and there is much to do.

 

Today I was reading Isaiah 8: Then the LORD said to me, “Take for yourself a large tablet and write on it in ordinary letters: Swift is the booty, speedy is the prey.

 

Isaiah was so impressed by these words that they became the name of his next son - Maher Shalal Hash Baz.  (Talk about opening the door for witnessing!  Try naming your kid Maher Shalal Hash Baz and let me know how it works out.  I guess the poor boy would get a lot of chances to explain the prophecy right before he got beat up.)

 

I can imagine the prophet and prophetess telling people about their cute baby - "his name is swift the booty speedy the prey" - with their fiery prophet gaze.

 

Whoa where is this conversation headed? Well I'll tell you where.

 

"...for before the boy knows how to cry out ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.”

(Isaiah 8:11-15 NASB)

 

One principle in the Bible is the testimony of two witnesses, which are required to pronounce judgement.  In this case the two witnesses are Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the prophet. The law and the prophet - this might sound familiar if you read my earlier post (Two Witnesses at the End of Days).  The wrath of God is immediately preceded by the testimony of two witnesses.

 

The testimony also serves as a sort of contract to prove that God is faithful and His judgments are true.  God's judgment is conditioned upon the people's response to the testimony.  Repentance will always turn away God's wrath.  This is why the LORD has delayed His final judgment on creation.  This is why the "apostacy must come first" - the people must become so hardened that repentance is impossible.  Notice the response in Isaiah 8:

They will pass through the land hard-pressed and famished, and it will turn out that when they are hungry, they will be enraged and curse their king and their God as they face upward. Then they will look to the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be driven away into darkness. (Isaiah 8:21-22 NASB)

 

This is a prophetic reference to the final judgment, as in Revelation 9:

 

The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts. (Rev 9:21-22 NASB) 

 

Finally...

 

Satan has had plenty of antichrists ready for the final conflict, but God has always had a people who would repent and pray for God's mercy; thus the final wrath has been withheld even until now.  It is when God's people are finally "taken out of the way" then "...that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming." (II Thessalonians 2:7-8 NASB)

 

There may yet be time to delay God's wrath, but the answer won't come through politics or economic genius or military might.  It will come only

 

"...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways" (II Chronicles 7:14 NASB).

 

Remember,

 

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (II Peter 2:9 NASB)

The Two Witnesses at the End of Days

(I have had a powerful writer's block for many months, so please forgive my silence.  I cannot write except under inspiration and have tried many times fruitlessly since my last post.  I have much more to say when that inspiration permits it.)

I've been studying Revelation with a group of men led by pastor and teacher Gene Smith.  Last week he taught from chapter 11 wherein the two witnesses prophesy from Jerusalem for 1260 days during the first half of the final seven years of judgement.

Gene indicated that most scholars regard these two witnesses to be the re-embodied Moses and Elijah from the Old Testament, or at least people who have the same power and ministry.

I did some of my own research (which I always do regardless of who is teaching) and reached the same conclusion!  Here's how I challenged the assertion and the possibilities I studied.

Enoch and Elijah

First, I noted that the two witnesses died.  The Bible says it is appointed unto man once to die, and then comes judgement.  There are only two people mentioned in the Bible who never died - Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (II Kings 2:11).  Many scholars believe these are the two witnesses at the end of days.  There is some logic here, because these two could return to life in the last days and actually be killed for the first time. Furthermore, although little is known about Enoch, Jude mentions Enoch as an end-time prophet:

It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” Jude 1:14-15

There is little doubt that one of the two is Elijah, as Malachi prophesied and the Jews affirm (even to this day).  Even Jesus referenced John as Elijah's prototype to prepare the way for His first coming.

Moses and Elijah

As Pastor Gene pointed out to us:

Who had the power to shut off the sky so that rain will not fall?  Elijah. (James 5:17, Luke 4:25, I Kings 17:1)  How long did the two witnesses prophesy? (1260 days or three and a half years.)  That is exactly the same amount of time the rain did not fall during Elijah's prophesying.  Amazing!

Who had the power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague?  Moses. (Exodus chapters 7-10)

Who appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:2)?  Moses and Elijah.

The two witnesses stand before the Lord continually.

What better two authorities could reach the Jewish people and turn their hearts to the living Messiah than Moses and Elijah?  These two represent the embodiment of the Old Testament, the Law and the Prophet.

Malachi mentions both Moses and Elijah in his end-time prophecy:

“Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. “He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.” Malachi 4:4-6

There is just one minor problem with Moses as the second witness.  Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab (Deuteronomy 34:5).  So Moses doesn't exactly parallel Elijah as a person alive and standing before the Lord in heaven.  Today I resolved that conflict (in my own understanding at least.)  The little book of Jude sheds unique light on what happened to Moses after God buried his body.

But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Jude 1:9

Deuteronomy 34 says the Lord buried him in the land of Moab, but his eye was not dim nor his vigor abated.  I think God might have just resurrected old Moses and took him to heaven alive.  Why?  If God didn't hide Moses' body the Jews might have worshiped his shrine.  If God took him to heaven in a chariot before their eyes they might surely have worshipped him as some sort of deity.  It makes sense that if God wanted to take him, He might have to do it rather discreetly.  So He sent Michael to go get his body and bring him up to heaven (I suspect).

Getting to the point

On balance I am convinced the two witnesses are Moses and Elijah, in the flesh. Can you imagine the power of these two mighty men of God after spending thousands of years in heaven before the throne of God, returning to earth by God's authorization to convert their Jewish brethren?  If that didn't impress you, how about a little fire from their mouths to slay those who try to kill them?  By the way, who called fire out of heaven to destroy his enemies, not once but twice (II Kings 1:10,12)?  Elijah.

At the end of days, these two mighty witnesses and the 144,000 chosen from every tribe of Israel will lead the nation of Israel back to the Lord.  That will be a day I would like to see, but as Pastor Gene pointed out, that will probably be from heaven.  At that time the age of the gentile church has been fulfilled and God will once again extend His infinite mercy to his chosen people.  Oh Halellujah, praise God, that'll be the day!