The Spirit of Elijah

The Spirit Pentecost of Elijah Lesson By: Evelyn Pointer

By Melissa C. Pointer

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.�

Who Was Elijah the Prophet?

Elijah was one of the greatest prophets in the bible.

He was one of only three men listed in the bible that never died.

Instead Elijah was taken up directly to heaven in a chariot of fire.

Elijah lived during the time of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel.

Jezebel was a Zidonian princess.

They were extremely wicked rulers of Israel. I Kings 16:31-33.

Jezebel Jezebel encouraged Ahab in his wickedness and caused the people to worship Baal and the gods of the grove.

She was also a cruel and vicious woman. She systematically had all of the prophets of the Lord put to death.

No one could speak against her or their life was in danger.

The Prophets Obadiah, governor or steward of Ahab’s house was a righteous man who feared the Lord.

He hid 100 of the prophets of the Lord in caves and fed them.

Elijah was not like the other prophets.

He was full of the spirit of God and was not afraid to prophecy against Ahab and Jezebel.

Famine & Drought The children of Israel were always greatly influenced by their leaders.

They began to be completely taken over by idolatry.

Elijah prophesied against this wickedness and called for a famine and drought in the land.

There was no more rain. The land and the people suffered greatly and began to fail with drought and hunger.

Famine & Drought Elijah remained hidden from Ahab and was fed through the power of the Lord by a widow woman in Zidon.

When he asked her for food she gave the little that she had with her first even before she fed herself and her son.

Elijah prophecied and blessed her, “For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.�

So Elijah and her family were fed during the years of the drought.

It’s Gonna Rain!

After three years God told Elijah to show himself to Ahab and that he would send rain again.

When Elijah met Ahab he told him to gather together all of the prophets of Baal and the prophets of the grove.

It was time that the people would choose who was the true God that they would serve.

God vs Prophets of Baal He asked them to bring two bullocks, one for him and the other one for the false prophets.

They would prepare the bullocks as sacrifices on two altars.

Whichever God would answer with fire on the bullock would be the true God. They all agreed.

God vs Prophets of Baal The prophets of Baal and of the groves called on Baal from morning until noon and nothing happened.

They jumped and leaped on the altar. Elijah mocked them.

Perhaps their god was on a journey, or maybe he was sleeping.

By evening they began to cut themselves, their blood pouring out to Baal and still no fire, no voice and nothing regarding.

God vs Prophets of Baal

About the time of the evening sacrifice Elijah prepared the altar of the Lord that had been broken down and built it with twelve stones according to the twelve tribes of Israel in the name of the Lord.

And he built a trench around the altar that could hold water. He laid on the wood and the Bullock that he cut in pieces on the altar.

He had four barrels filled with water and had it poured on the offering and the altar.

He did this three times until the water ran around the altar and the trench was filled.

God vs Prophets of Baal And at the time of the evening sacrifice Elijah called upon the Lord. “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.�

God vs Prophets of Baal Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: And they said, “The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.�

And Elijah said unto them take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. I Kings 18:36-40.

The Coming of Elijah Going back to this current day, we know that Elijah no longer abides on this earth but instead was taken to heaven, never experiencing death So why are we still looking for Elijah the prophet.

Furthermore, the prophet Malachi prophesied about the coming of Elijah the prophet many years AFTER Elijah had been taken up into Heaven.

Why? Malachi was not talking about the man Elijah, but the spirit of the prophet Elijah.

This spirit is the Holy Spirit

Elias & John the Baptist After Christ was transfigured on the mountain before Peter, James and John, He told them to tell no man what they had seen until after his resurrection.

They then asked him why the scribes said that Elias must come first.

It should be noted that when the name Elias is stated, it is synonymous with Elijah He told them that Elias shall truly come first and will restore all things.

And then he told them that Elias is come already and they knew it not, but had done to him whatever they had wanted.

In this instance, Christ was talking about John the Baptist and not Elias the prophet

John the Baptist So why would Christ refer to John the Baptist as Elias (or Elijah) John the Baptist had the same spirit that Elijah had, that is the Holy Spirit.

The angel of the Lord prophesied about this to Zacharias in Luke 1:13-17, “Fear not Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make read a people prepared for the Lord.”

Signs & Wonders God’s children, such as Elijah or John the Baptist, are for signs and wonders.

Everything in the bible teaches us through demonstrations and examples the will of God, the kingdom of heaven, and the nature of God. It teaches us of his righteousness and his judgment. All of the prophets and righteous leaders were examples pointing to God. Elijah’s influence upon the people, was an example of how the Holy Spirit works with man to change the heart.

John the Baptist’s preparation of the people for Christ’s first coming is an example of what the Holy Spirit will do to prepare the saint’s for Christ’s second coming

Conclusion We look for the spirit of Elijah or the Holy Spirit to be poured upon us in the last days.

Why? It is the Holy Spirit that brings an individual to repentance so that they flee from sin.

The Holy Spirit teaches us about the laws of God so that we might obey.

He changes our hearts and minds, making us perfect like Christ.

He not only changes us spiritually but will ultimately change us physically that we might be deemed worthy to be fully joined with Jesus and go up to heaven.

That is how the Holy Spirit, who is in fact God, will prepare us for Christ during the last days.

Special Thanks This presentation was developed from the class entitled “Passover Preparation� by: Evelyn C. Pointer, Elder

Questions?

For questions regarding this presentation please contact us via email at info@householdofisrael.org or by phone at 219.949.9308.