Elijah was an Old Testament prophet who served the northern kingdom of Israel around 900 B.C. His life is found in chapters 1. Con. 17 and 2. When 2. he held the keys of the sealing power of the priesthood, by which saving commands are accomplished both on earth and in heaven.
According to the Bible, Elijah was a Hebrew prophet who lived in the 8th century B.C. C., whose name is Hellenized Hebrew Ēliyahū (אליהו) and means “Ēl is Yahw”. Elijah was from Tishbeh in the region of Gilead and east of the Jordan River. His life is described in the Hebrew accounts of 1 Kings 17-21 and 2 Kings 1-2.
Elijah’s prophetic ministry begins during the reign of Ahab (son of Omri), who ruled the kingdom of Israel in 87 B.C. C. and 853 B.C.
The writers of the books of Kings refer to another book, now lost, better known as “The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel” (1 Kings 22:39) as the source of their accounts. It is possible that the story of the confrontation between Elijah and King Ahab, “who did more evil in the sight of the Lord than all who were before him” and “took a Canaanite woman for his wife,” may have come from this or another a source related to the prophet. Jezebel, daughter of Itobaal, king of Sidon, who followed Baal and Asherah, served him and worshiped him.”
King Ahab is described as establishing a new religion brought by his wife Jezebel, resulting in the execution of most of the local prophets of the traditional religion. An angry Jehovah sends drought and thus famine to the region.
Elijah was a man subject to passions similar to ours (James 5,17): after the victory, he flees fearing Jezebel’s revenge, and comes to suffer in the desert. An angel sent by Jehovah gave him food and drink and comforted him as he walked toward Mount Horeb, where he is hiding in a cave.
In the midst of depression, the prophet Elijah prays to Jehovah, Jehovah appears and supports him, presenting himself as a small and delicate whistle after the wind, the earthquake and the fire, and gives him new tasks and designates Elisha as his own. successor
Who replaced Elijah
Although Elisha was Elijah’s prophetic successor, he had a very different character from Elijah: Elijah was a solitary figure, while Elisha was the head of several generations of prophets; He contacted the then rulers of Israel, warned them, advised them in their wars, and encouraged them, when he deemed it necessary, to disobey them. In Christianity, Elisha is considered an important predecessor of Jesus. In Islam he is known as Al-Yasa or Alyas.
How Elijah was taken to heaven
In the second book of Kings it is written: «And while they walked and talked, behold, fiery chariots with fiery horses separated them both; and Elijah ascended to heaven in a whirlwind.