Who was Elijah?
Elijah (pronounced as Eliyah) was a Prophet, who lived about 9th century BC. In the New testament he is mentioned as "Elias".Elijah led the struggle against the idolatrous people who worshipped "bAAL" as God. He performed many miracles to lead the people to come to the right path and worship the One Almighty God. After experiencing so many hardships, he was disheartened, and prayed to God to send him death. But God ascended him up to the heaven,
thus he did not experience the death.
Controversies about Elijah
There are some controversies about Elijah. The Jews believed that before coming of the Messiah, Elijah will come again.
Jesus claimed that Elijah was John the Baptist:
(Matthew 17:12-13) But I say unto you, that Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but
have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
But John the Baptist denied to be Elijah:
(John 1:21) And they asked him (John), "What then? Art thou Elias?" And he saith, "I am not."
On one occasion Elijah along with Moses descended from the heaven to Jesus, and they had
some discussion. All of Jesus' disciples saw that event. If John the Baptist was really Elijah, then
Jesus' disciple could recognize him and mention in the gospels that John the Baptist and Moses
came to Jesus:
(Matthew 17:3-4) And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if thou wilt, let us
make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias."
Kindly note that after the above event, when Jesus met Moses and Elijah, Jesus' disciples
asked Jesus that who was Elijah. And Jesus replied them that he was John the Baptist. But if
Elijah was really John the Baptist, then Jesus' disciples could recognize him. But they did not
recognize him as John the Baptist, which is a proof that John the Baptist was not Elijah. And
also he himself denied to be Elijah.
The Prophecy of Elijah in the Old Testament
(Malachi 4:5-6) Behold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. 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.
In the above Prophecy, God says that he will send Elijah, which actually means a Prophet like Elijah, but not Elijah himself. And Jesus said the same words, which were foretold about Elijah in Malachi:
come to make peace on earth. I have not
come to bring peace, but a sword. For I
have come to set a man against his
father, and a daughter against her
mother.
(Luke 12:49) I came to case fire upon the
earth, and would that it were already
kindled. Do you think that I have come to
give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but
rather division; for from henceforth in one
house there will be five divided, three
against two, and two against three. They
will be divided, father against son, and
son against father, mother against
daughter, and daughter against her
mother.
Elijah the Prophet before the coming of
the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
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.
away the stone from the place
where the dead was laid. And Jesus
lifted up his eyes and said, "Father,
I thank thee that thou hast heard
me. And I knew that thou hearest
me always; but because of the
people which stand by I said it that
they may believe that thou hast sent
me." And when he thus had spoken,
he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus,
come forth." And he that was dead
came forth
(Elijah) stretched himself upon
the child three times, and cried
unto the LORD, and said, ";O
LORD my God, I pray Thee, let
this child's soul come into him
again." And the LORD heard the
voice of Elijah; and the soul of
he child came into him again,
and he revived.
sent unto him a captain of Fifty
with his Fifty. And he went up to
him (Elijah): and, behold, he sat
on the top of a hill. And he spake
unto him, "Thou man of God, the
king hath said, Come down." And
Elijah answered and said unto
the captain of Fifty, "If I be a man
of God, then let fire come down
from heaven, and consume thee
and thy Fifty." And there came
down fire from heaven, and
consumed him and his Fifty
Synagogue there was a man, which
had a spirit of an unclean devil, and
cried out with a loud voice, saying,
"Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the holy one of God." And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Hold thy peace, and come out of him." And the when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not
and Heavenly things
him, and began to rebuke him,
Saying "Be it far from thee, Lord,
this shall not be unto thee."
was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, asn said, "Art thou that my Lord Elijah?" And he answered him, "I am
multitude said, "This is Jesus the
Prophet of Nazareth of Galilee."
2: (Luke 24:19) Jesus of Nazareth, which was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people
unto the people, "I, even I only
remain a Prophet of the LORD"
forth they took counsel together for
to put him to death. Jesus therefore
walked no more openly among the
Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness
kill them
an Angel unto him from heaven,
strengthening him.
him.
Jesus was the Prophet like Elijah, about whom it is written in Malachi 4:5-6. God sent him before the coming of the expected Messiah, and the Messiah was the Prophet who came with a New Law and Scripture after Jesus.