![[elijah_baal.jpeg]] Elijah is important, as Jesus mentioned his story and it is referenced often in the prophecies ([`Matt. 11:13-15`](https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Matthew-11-14/), [`Mal. 4:5-6`](https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Malachi-4-5/), [`Jam. 5:17-18`](https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/James-5-17/)). In Israel, King Ahab and Queen Jezebel introduced the worship of a false god called "Baal", which literally translates to "Lord." All the people of Samaria were worshipping "the Lord" thinking they were worshipping the God of their fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). These false prophets would fake their miracles and prophecies while claiming to serve the True God ([`Jer. 2:8`](https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Jeremiah-2-8/), [`Eze. 12:6-9`](https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Ezekiel-13-6_13-9/)). [`1 Kings 18:17-18`](https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1-Kings-18-17/) > And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, **in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.** God raised up a prophet, a foreigner, named Elijah ("My God is Jehovah") who was a ***Tishbite***, meaning he was ***not*** one of the original 12 tribes of Israel; antitypically speaking, this means he was not part of the "Church going" crowd. He was raised up by God to rebuke Israel and expose this false worship. He confronts Ahab and Jezebel at a public event and pronounces a curse on them, saying that because of what they did there would be no rain for three and a half years—a death sentence in the desert. This culminates at the end of the period with a contest at Mt. Carmel, where Elijah calls down pillars of fire to prove Jehovah is the True Living God, leading to the death of over 400 prophets of Baal in a single evening. Elijah is one of the only characters, with the exception of Enoch, that never died and went directly to heaven. He is also seen comforting Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration with Moses, as they both encourage Christ about the crucifixion before He has to die ([`Luke 9:30-31`](https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Luke-9-30/)). The story of Elijah has an end time, *antitypical* application briefly before Christ's second advent. The final verse of the Old Testament says: [`Malachi 4:5`](https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Malachi-4-5/) > Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet **before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD** \[the second coming of Christ\]: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. This does not mean Elijah is going to physically descend from heaven at the end of time. Rather, there will be a great movement in the spirit of Elijah that will expose the false worship around the world briefly before Christ comes. I hope, dear reader, you realize how relevant that is with the rise of false Christianity in our land ([`Rev. 13:13-14`](https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Revelation-13-13/)). [[Foreshadowing, not Prophecy|<< Back]]