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Saint Prophet Elijah is one of the greatest prophets and the first Old Testament\u2019s celibates \u2013 was born in Galaadian Fesvia and was from Leviin\u2019s tribe,\u00a0lived 900 years before Christ\u2019s birth.<\/p>\n
Saint Bishop Epiphanius of Salamis tells such a legend about Prophet Elijah\u2019s birth: \u201cWhen Elijah was born, his father Sovah saw in a vision that fine looking men greeted him, swaddled him in fire and fed him with flames\u201d. The name Elijah (God\u2019s strength), given to the child, defined his entire life. From his early years he dedicated himself to the one true God, settled in a desert and spent his life in strict fast, contemplation and prayer. Being called being called to be a prophet at the time of Ahab, king of Israel, he became a devout defender of the true faith and piety. At that time the people of Israel forgot their fathers\u2019 faith, stopped honoring the True God and worshipped pagan idols, whose veneration was originally started by by an unholy king Ierovoam. Pagan Jezebel, king Ahab\u2019s wife especially supported worshiping idols. Worshiping idol Vaal led the people of Israel to total moral corruption.<\/p>\n
Seeing these events as the beginning of the end of his nation, Elijah started to denounce King Ahab\u2019s mischief, persuading him to repent and return to God. The king didn\u2019t listen to him. Then Elijah the prophet announced him that as punishment there will be no rain or dew on the earth and the drought will end up only upon his prayer. Indeed the sky concluded by his prayer and the drought and hunger started along the earth. Folk suffered from unbearable heat and hunger. Merciful God seeing people\u2019s suffering was ready to spare everyone and to send rain on earth, but he didn\u2019t want to break Prophet Elijah\u2019s word that was willing to turn Israeli hearts to repentance and lead them back to God-reverence. Saving Prophet Elijah from Jezebel\u2019s hands, God sent him to a secret place near Horaf stream. God enjoined predatory ravens to bring food to the prophet, inspiring him for compassion to suffering people. When the Horaf stream dried out, God sent Prophet Elijah to Sidonian Sarepta to one poor widow, who was suffering together with her children awaiting hunger-death. By the prophet\u2019s request, she cooked him an opresnok from the last handful of mill and the rest of oil. Then by Elijah\u2019s prayers, neither oil nor mill ever ended in the widow\u2019s house during all hunger time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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On the end of three years of drought the Merciful God sent the prophet to King Ahab to end up the disaster. Prophet Elijah told to collect whole Israel and Vaal\u2019s priests at the hill Karmill. When the people gathered, Prophet Elijah suggested building two altars: one from Vaal\u2019s priests and one from Prophet Elijah to serve the True God. \u201cThe altar, which will gain fire from the sky will be a sign whose God is Real God,- said prophet Elijah,- and everyone will have to worship Him and not accepting him will have to die. Vaal\u2019s prophets were first to bring their sacrifice: they called on their idol from the morning till evening, but in vain \u2013 the sky was silent. Up to the evening saint prophet Elijah erected his altar from 12 stones in number of Israel tribes, put his sacrifice on firewood, he ordered to dig a trench around the altar and commanded to poor the sacrifice and wood with water. When the trench was filled with water, the fiery prophet turned to God with a hot prayer and a petition to God for a benediction of fire from the sky to reason the fooled and fierce people of Israel and turn their hearts to Him. By the prophet\u2019s prayer fire came out of the skies and burned the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and even water. People fell down on earth, calling: \u201cTruly God is One and there is no other God beside Him!\u201d. Then Prophet Elijah slained all Vaal\u2019s priests and started to pray for the rain. By his prayer the heavens opened and showers of rain watered the thirsty land.\u00a0<\/p>\n
King Ahab realized his misconception and bemoaned his sins, but his wife Jezebel was threatening to kill God\u2019s prophet. Prophet Elijah fled to the kingdom of Judah and grieving about the impossibility of idolatry eradication, he asked God for death to himself. Lord\u2019s angel appeared to him, strengthened him with food and commanded to go on a long journey. Prophet Elijah went forty days and nights and when he reached Mount Horeb, he settled in a cave. Here, after a fierce storm, earthquake and flame the Lord appeared “in a quiet wind” (3 Kings. 19, 12) and opened to the grieving prophet that He had saved seven thousand loyal servants, not having worshipped to Vaal. God enjoined to Prophet Elijah to anoint Elischa for the prophet service. For his fiery zeal for the glory of God, Prophet Elijah was taken to heaven alive in a fiery chariot. Prophet Elischa witnessed Prophet Elijah\u2019s rise to the sky and got a gift of prophecy Spirit (together with his fallen coat) twice as big as prophet Elijah had.<\/p>\n
Iconographic tradition depicts the Prophet Elijah ascending on the chariot with fiery wheels, which is surrounded by flames on all sides, and driven by four winged horses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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