On August 2, Christians celebrate the feast of the prophet Elijah. He lived in the 9th century before the birth of Jesus Christ. The name Elijah means “the power of the Lord,” which determined his entire life.
“In the body of an angel, the foundation of the prophets, the second forerunner of the coming of Christ, the glorious Elijah, from on high sent Elisha the grace to drive away illnesses and cleanse lepers. He pours zilinnya on those who revere him. Prophetic and prophetic of the great deeds of our God, Elijah of great names, to your voices you have established watercourses for the clouds. Pray for us to the one Lover of Humanity"
Prophet Elijah. Prophet Elijah.
The Holy Prophet Elijah was born in. Thesphia (Tesbiah) of Gilead 900 years before the birth of Christ. The name that the parents gave to their son (Elijah means “my God is Yahweh”) determined his entire life. From an early age he devoted himself to God, settled in the desert and lived in prayer and strict fasting. At that time, the king of Israel was Ahab, who called on people to worship idols (Baal). Queen Jezebel was also a fan of idolatry. Among the Israeli brave souls who opposed this was Elijah. He prayed zealously, calling on people to repent and believe in the One God. Seeing the spiritual death of his people, Ilya convinced the king to convert and predicted disasters for the people if they did not come to their senses. When the king did not listen to the words of the prophet, a three-year drought occurred, which led to famine in the country. And only through the prayers of the holy prophet Elijah did rain fall again on the thirsty land.
Elijah received a lot of persecution from idolaters. When he was about to die, he learned that God would take him to heaven alive. And so it happened. Elijah's companion and other witnesses saw a chariot of fire appear and the angels lift the Saint into heaven. This is exactly how icon painters depict Ilya - he ascends to heaven on a fiery chariot drawn by four winged horses.
During the earthly life of Jesus Christ, remembering the miracles of Elijah, the Jews perceived the son of God as a prophet. And during the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor, Elijah and Moses talked with the Lord. In the troparion of the holiday, Saint Elijah is interpreted as “The bodily angel, the stronghold of the prophets, the second forerunner of Christ’s coming...”
Folk customs and traditions of celebration
Our ancestors celebrated this holiday in ancient times. It is known, in particular, from the chronicle of Nestor that in the pre-Christian period in Kyiv there was a church built in honor of Elijah the Prophet. In the Christian era, on the day of Elijah and for a week after it, religious processions to the Elias Church with prayers for rain or clear weather. Icon painters depicted the prophet Elijah sitting on a chariot with fiery wheels, surrounded on all sides by fiery clouds and drawn by four winged horses. Ilya was popularly perceived as a mediator between heaven and earth. According to legend, he is able to predict droughts and at the same time call rain clouds with prayers. Hence, in the popular imagination, Ilya appears as a formidable, stern, cruel, but at the same time generous saint.
According to popular beliefs, Ilya is the successor of the Thunderer Perun. There are many popular proverbs associated with it:
Holy Prophet Elijah
“Before Ilya, the clouds move with the wind, but along Ilya, they move against the wind,”
“Thunder thunders, then Elijah rides across the heavenly bridge in a chariot of fire.”
There is a legend that when demons rebelled against God, he ordered Elijah to drive out evil spirits from heaven. Since then, Saint Elijah has been chasing demons, shooting fiery arrows at them: thunder and lightning. If at this time thunder sets the hut on fire, the peasants believed that this fire could not be extinguished and said: “As God lit it, a man will not extinguish it.”
In the old days, there was a belief that after Ilya you can no longer swim. “After Ilya, only the pig bathes,” the peasants said. People believed that on this day the water becomes cold. One of the reasons for the sudden cooling of the water was believed to be that Ilya rides horses across the sky, and from fast run one of the horses loses a shoe, which falls into the water, and accordingly the water is colder. So, the people said: “When Elijah comes, he will create rot.”
Life of the Prophet Elijah
However, in the popular imagination, Saint Elijah was not only a punishing deity, but also the patron saint of farmers. After all, on this day the calendar summer ends. Winter sowing of rye and wheat begins. Therefore, the peasants looked forward to this holiday and said: “For Elijah, new bread is on the table.”
Ilya was born in. Thesphia (Tesbiah) of Gilead 900 years before the birth of Christ. The name that the parents gave to their son (Ilya means “the power of the Lord”) determined his entire life. From an early age he devoted himself to God, settled in the desert and lived in prayer and strict fasting. At that time, the king of Israel was Ahab, who called on people to worship idols (Baal). Queen Jezebel was also a fan of idolatry. Among the Israeli brave souls who opposed this was Ilya. He prayed zealously, calling on people to repent and believe in the One God.
Crows feed Ilya
Elijah came to Ahab and in the name of God announced to him: “Because of your wickedness in these years there will be neither rain nor dew, except through my prayer.” And so it happened. A terrible drought began; even the grass burned out, and famine set in. Elijah, by the will of God, settled in
Saint Elijah
desert near a stream, where ravens brought him bread and meat, and he drank water from the stream (1 Sam. 17: 3-6).
When the stream dried up, God commanded the prophet to go to the pagan city of Zarephath of Sidon to a poor widow and live in her. This widow, who lived with her son, had only one handful of flour and a little butter left. Arriving in Zarephath, Elijah ordered her to bake a cake for him and promised that the flour and oil would not decrease until the Lord gave rain to the earth. The woman believed the prophet of God and did as he told her. Her flour and butter did not decrease. Soon this widow's son fell ill and died. The Prophet Elijah prayed to God over him three times, and the boy came to life (1 Samuel 17 17-2-4).
The drought continued for three and a half years. Elijah, at the command of God, again came to Ahab and invited him to gather the Israeli people on Mount Carmel. When Ahab gathered the people, Elijah said, “Enough of your wickedness. Know the true God. Let us make a sacrifice to Baal, and I to the Lord God, but do not light a fire. Whoever sends fire from heaven to sacrifice is the true God.” Everyone agreed.
The priests of Baal were the first to offer sacrifices. They prepared an altar, placed a calf on it, and all day long they jumped around and shouted: “Baal, hear us!” But there was no answer. Evening came. Then Elijah prepared an altar, dug a ditch around it, placed firewood and a bullock on the altar, and ordered water to be poured over the sacrifice so that the ditch was filled with it. Then Elijah turned to the Lord in prayer. And immediately the fire of the Lord came down from heaven and burned not only the wood and the sacrifice, but also destroyed the water that filled the ditch and the stones from which the altar was made. The whole people fell to the ground in fear and exclaimed: “The Lord is the true God, the Lord is the true God!” And Elijah destroyed all the prophets of Baal (1 Sam. 18: 36-40).
After this, Elijah went to the top of the mountain and began to pray for rain. The wind blew from the sea, large clouds appeared in the sky and it began to rain.
Queen Jezebel, Ahab's wife, despite the miracles, continued to persecute Elijah for putting to death all the priests of Baal. Ilya disappeared into the desert. It seemed to him that he was the only one who remained faithful to God, and that is why they wanted to kill him. And he completely lost heart. But the Lord encouraged him by appearing to him when Elijah spent the night in a cave on Mount Horeb.
The voice of God said to him: “Elijah! Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord."
And then a big blow blew, strong wind, tearing apart mountains and crushing rocks. But there was no Lord in this wind. Subsequently there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake either.
Subsequently, fire appeared, but the Lord was not in the fire either. After all, there is a breath of quiet wind, and the Lord is there. The Lord consoled Elijah and said that among the Israelites there were still seven thousand people who did not bow to idols, and that He would raise up among them the prophet Elisha, whom he commanded to anoint.
The appearance of the Lord showed Elijah that the Lord is not only a formidable Judge who punishes, but also a merciful, kind Father. This phenomenon was also a prototype of the coming to earth of Jesus Christ, who appeared not to judge and punish, but also to delight and save people.
Elijah, according to God's instructions, anointed Elisha as a prophet, who later became his disciple. One day, as they walked together, Elijah said to Elisha, “While I am with you, ask me whatever you want.”
Life of the Holy Prophet Elijah
Elisha answered, “Let the spirit that is in you be doubly upon me.” Elijah said: “What do you ask, and if you see me taken from you, you will receive it.” They moved on. Suddenly a fiery chariot with fiery horses appeared, and Elijah rushed into the sky in a whirlwind. Elisha, seeing this, exclaimed: “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and his cavalry!” (2 Kings 2:11-12).
The words of the prophet Elisha meant that the holy prophet Elijah, with his prayers, defended the kingdom of Israel from enemies better than the entire army of Israel - its chariots and cavalry. At this time, Elijah’s mantle, that is, the cloak, fell at Elisha’s feet. Elisha picked it up and with it received the double gift of prophecy. (See: 1 Kings 16-19; 2 Kings 1-2, 1-15).
Elijah received a lot of persecution from idolaters. Icon painters depict Elijah during the ascension - on a fiery chariot drawn by four winged horses, he ascends to heaven.
During the earthly life of Jesus Christ, remembering the miracles of Elijah, the Jews perceived the son of God as a prophet. And during the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor, Elijah and Moses talked with the Lord. In the troparion of the holiday, Elijah is interpreted as “The bodily angel, the stronghold of the prophets, the second forerunner of Christ’s coming...”
Elijah in Orthodox Spirituality [ed. ed. code]
Elijah is a significant figure in Orthodox spirituality - many churches and children now take his name: "Ilya".
St. Elijah is revered and is a role model:
his miracles, for example, conversation with God
his asceticism, that is, taken by God to live in the desert, ate only food brought by ravens;
his prophecy, for example, listening to God foretold to denounce rulers for their injustice, their infidelity, and their oppression of the people;
his Orthodoxy, for example, following that real God and opposing the worship of other gods;
his performance of a miracle, for example, provided food during a famine, resurrected the dead;
his concern for the poor, widows and orphans;
God took him alive to heaven in a chariot of fire;
his meeting with the Messiah at the Holy Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8).
Day of the Prophet Elijah
The Day of the Holy Prophet Elijah is celebrated on August 2. From this day on, in Ukraine there are so-called sparrow nights - night thunderstorms with lightning and thunder. When there is a thunderstorm, people try to keep dogs and cats away from them, because in these animals, popular superstition, evil spirits can hide from Ilya.
Before the images during a thunderstorm, old people recommend lighting a holy candle. It was believed that this would protect the house from thunder. And if lightning ignites a house, then in the old days people did not even try to extinguish this fire, since it was supposedly inflamed by God himself, which means to the common man and just extinguish it.
On the day of remembrance of this saint, it traditionally rains. It is considered blessed, and if you wash yourself with it, you can be healed of diseases and leprosy.
From this day on, moderate warmth sets in, daylight hours shorten, and nights become longer.
After August 2, they stop swimming because they say, “Ilya cooled the water,” or “Before Ilya, the man bathes, but after Ilya, he says goodbye to the water.” One of the reasons for the sudden cooling of the water was believed to be that Ilya rides horses across the sky, and from fast running one of the horses loses a horseshoe, which falls into the water, and accordingly the water gets colder.
The first signs of the approach of autumn appear, namely, a noticeable difference between the temperatures of night and day. On this day, celebratory bread was baked from the first harvest, which was cut and distributed strictly in order from the eldest to the youngest family member.
On this day, beekeepers cleaned the hives, and hunters made their first trip to hunt wolves. Elijah's Day is the beginning of the hunt, since from this day on, animal holes, in particular wolf holes, opened up in the forests.
if it is cloudy in the morning, then sowing should be early and you can expect a good harvest
if it’s cloudy at noon, sowing is average, and if in the evening, sowing is late and the harvest is bad.
It's sunny all day - it's bad weather.
Elijah, the rain falls with and against the wind - as the prophet commands, and after him - only with the wind.
Ilya has passed - wait for rot.
For Ilya, it’s summer before lunch, and autumn after lunch.
From Ilya's day the night is long and the water is cold.
The Holy Prophet Elijah is one of the greatest prophets, born 900 years before the coming of Christ the Savior to the world. The Prophet Elijah saw the glory of the Transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor (Matthew 17:3; Mark 9:4; Luke 9:30). He was the first to perform a miracle in the Old Testament resurrection of the dead(1 Kings 17:20-23) and he himself was taken alive into Heaven, thereby prefiguring the coming Resurrection of Christ and the general destruction of the dominion of death. His ardent call to repentance and menacing denunciations were addressed to his contemporaries, his compatriots, mired in wickedness and idolatry. The inhabitants of the Earth will hear the same accusations and call to repentance before the Second Coming of Christ, when many, having deviated from true faith and piety, will live in the darkness of errors and vices. Both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament Church, the holy prophet Elijah is revered for his indestructible firmness of faith, the impeccable severity of his virgin life, and his fiery zeal for the glory of God. He is often compared to “the greatest of those born of women,” the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, John, about whom it is said that he came “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17).
The holy prophet Elijah was born in the 10th century BC in Thesbia of Gilead, and came from the tribe of Levi, from the clan of Aaron. According to the legend that has come down to us from Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus, when Elijah was born, his father Sovakh saw how bright angels talked with the baby, swaddled him with fire and wrote with a fiery flame.
The Holy Prophet Elijah truly was a fiery zealot of faith and piety, devoting himself to the One God. This is indicated by the name Elijah itself, which is translated from ancient Hebrew (Eliyahu) as "My God is Yahweh."
WITH youth Saint Elijah retired to the deserted Mount Carmel, where he grew and strengthened spiritually, spending his life in strict fasting, prayer and contemplation of God. First of all, Elijah prayed to God to turn sinners to repentance. Loving to think about God, he often retired for silence to deserted places, where he talked for a long time with God in warm prayer towards him, blazing towards him, like a seraph, with fiery love. And Elijah himself was loved by God, since God loves those who love Him: everything that Elijah asked of God, he received.
His prophetic ministry occurred during the reign of the Israeli king Ahab (874-853).
After the death of King Solomon (931 BC), the state was divided into two kingdoms: Jewish- with its capital in Jerusalem and Israeli - with its capital in Samaria. And if in Judea the former piety was preserved to some extent, then the kingdom of Israel very quickly deviated from the faith of its fathers to serving the pagan gods.
The wife of King Ahab, the Phoenician Jezebel, being a pagan, vigorously propagated the cult of the idol of Baal. She sought to destroy the religion of Moses and make the cult of Baal the state religion of Israel. Jezebel convinced her husband to accept a pagan religion. By her order, the altars of Yahweh were destroyed and His servants were killed.
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Baal- is the Canaanite (Phoenician) god of storms, rain, fertility and physical lust. The cult of Baal and his wife Astarte was accompanied by “sacred prostitution”, fanaticism and nightly zeal (as among some sectarians) in special groves filled with obscene images (these are the so-called “matzebs”, or “heights” in the delicate Synodal translation Bible). Effeminate pagan priests, many of whom were eunuchs, wandered along the roads, and in high voices (like some of our singers with non-traditional sexual orientation) sang rhythmic hymns that brought listeners into ecstasy. The worship of Baal extended to an outright “bestial” lifestyle, including group sex, incest (Baal, according to myth, was in a relationship with his sister), sodomy (there is an image of Baal having sexual intercourse with a heifer).
The holy prophet Elijah, zealous for the glory of the True God, entered public service as a formidable and bold denouncer of the sharply increased idolatry and moral depravity. Knowing that God requires voluntary conversion from sinful people, and the hard-hearted Israelis did not have such a desire for good, the prophet Elijah became very jealous of the glory of God and the salvation of people. He asked God to punish the Israelites temporarily, in order to at least by this means turn them away from wickedness. But knowing at the same time that the Lord, due to His love for mankind and long-suffering, was not quick to punish, Elijah, out of his great zeal for Him, dared to ask God to command him, Elijah, to punish the lawbreakers. The merciful Lord, like a loving father, did not want to sadden His beloved servant.
Elijah came to the king and denounced him for the error that he, having abandoned the God of Israel, was bowing to demons and, together with him, was leading the entire people to destruction. Seeing that the king did not listen to his admonitions, the holy prophet announced that, as punishment for the iniquities of the Israelites, there would be neither rain nor dew for a long time, and this disaster would end only through the prayer of the prophet: “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand! These years there will be neither dew nor rain, except according to my word.” (3 Kings 17:1) Having said this, Elijah left Ahab, and according to the word of the prophet, a drought came: not a single drop of rain or dew fell on the ground. Due to the drought, there was a complete failure of the grain harvest, and famine ensued.For three and a half years the people of Israel suffered from heat, drought and famine.
But all this happened not so much from the wrath of God, but from the zeal for the glory of God of the prophet Elijah. For the most merciful and man-loving Lord, in His immeasurable goodness, seeing the misfortune of people and the death of animals, was already ready to send rain to the earth, but He refrained from doing so in order to fulfill the decision of Elijah, and so that the words of the prophet would not turn out to be false: “in these years there will be neither dew nor rain, except at my word."The one who said this was so overcome with jealousy of God that he did not spare himself, for he preferred to die of hunger rather than have mercy on unrepentant sinners who were at enmity against God.
The prophet himself, by the command of God, took refuge from the wrath of his fellow tribesmen and the persecution of Ahab in a secluded place near the stream Horath, where every morning and every evening ravens brought him food - bread and meat.
Crows feed Elijah. Graphic arts. Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld
About a year later, when the stream of Horath dried up, the Lord sent the prophet Elijah to the small Phoenician city of Zarephath of Sidon to a poor widow who, along with her family, was in dire need. The Prophet Elijah, wanting to test the faith and virtue of the widow, ordered her to bake bread for him from the last flour and butter. The widow fulfilled the command, and her selflessness did not go unrewarded: according to the word of the prophet, flour and oil in this house were miraculously constantly replenished throughout the famine and drought.
Elijah resurrects the widow's dead son. Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld
INSoon the Lord sent a new test of the widow’s faith: her son died. In inconsolable grief, she decided that the holiness of the prophet Elijah, incompatible with her sinful life, became the cause of the boy’s death. Instead of answering, the holy prophet took her dead son in his arms and, after three times intense prayer, resurrected him (1 Kings 17:17-24).
After three years of drought, the Lord sent Saint Elijah to Ahab to announce the end of the disaster. At the same time, the prophet ordered the king to conduct a “test of faith.”
On Mount Carmel, on the coast Mediterranean Sea, all the inhabitants of Israel and all the priests of Baal gathered. When two altars were built, Saint Elijah invited the priests of Baal to pray to their gods for fire to descend from heaven onto the sacrifice. The priests prayed all day, but there was no fire. Then the holy prophet Elijah ordered the altar he had prepared to be watered big amount water, so that it filled the trench around the altar. Then he turned with fervent prayer to the True God and immediately fire came down from heaven and burned the sacrifice and even the stone altar and the water around it. Seeing this, the people fell to the ground in fear and exclaimed: “Truly the Lord is God!”(1 Kings 18:39). The prophet Elijah ordered the capture of the priests of Baal and killed them at the stream of Kissova. Through the saint’s prayer, the sky opened and it began to rain.
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The Prophet Elijah, after what was done on Mount Carmi, expected Israel to turn to God. But the restoration of true faith did not happen.Jezebel's hardened heart burned with anger and she threatened to kill Elijah for exterminating the priests of Baal. The weak-willed Ahab, who repented of the terrible sign, took the side of his wife.
The Prophet Elijah was forced to flee to the south of Judea, to Bathsheba. The Lord consoled the saint with a vision of an Angel, who strengthened him with food and commanded him to go on a long journey through the desert. Elijah runs to the sacred Mount Sinai, where Moses once received his famous laws. The prophet Elijah walked for 40 days and 40 nights and, having reached Mount Horeb, settled in a cave. All his efforts to eradicate wickedness seemed helpless to him: “Enough already, Lord, take my soul, for I am no better than my fathers” (1 Kings 19:4). Elijah, in despair, speaks to God about the collapse of his mission and the “failed” history of Israel: “The children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, destroyed Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword; I am left alone, but they are looking for my soul to take it away” (3 Kings 19:10).
The Lord, with a special vision, again called him to be more merciful. In sensory images - a storm, an earthquake and fire - the meaning of his prophetic ministry was revealed to him. To contrast with these visions, the Lord appeared to him in the breath of a quiet wind, making it clear that the hearts of sinners were softening and turning to repentance more through the action of God's mercy. In the same vision, the Lord revealed to the prophet that he was not the only one who worshiped the True God: there were still 7,000 people in Israel who did not bow the knee to Baal. He must return to the country and choose a successor in the person of Elisha, who will complete the fight for the faith he began.
At the command of God, the prophet Elijah again went to Israel to consecrate Elisha to the prophetic ministry.
The holy prophet Elijah came to the court of the Israeli kings twice more. The first time was to expose Ahab for the illegal murder of Naboth and the appropriation of his vineyard (1 Kings 21). Hearing the prophet’s reproof, Ahab repented and humbled himself, and for this God softened His anger. The second time - to expose the new king Ahaziah, the son of Ahab and Jezebel, for the fact that in his illness he turned not to the True God, but to the Ekron idol. The holy prophet predicted Ahaziah the death of his illness for such unbelief, and soon the prophet’s word came true (2 Kings 1).
For his fiery spiritual zeal for the glory of God, the prophet Elijah was taken alive to Heaven in a chariot of fire: “suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared, and separated them both, and Elijah rushed into Heaven in a whirlwind” (2 Kings 2:11). His disciple Elisha witnessed this ascent and, along with the mantle that fell from the chariot ( outerwear) of Saint Elijah received a prophetic gift twice as great as that of the prophet Elijah.
Elijah ascends to Heaven in a chariot of fire. Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld
Then, at the Transfiguration of the Lord, he appeared together with the prophet Moses and appeared before Jesus Christ, talking with him on Mount Tabor. The two most authoritative people Old Testament personify the Law and the Prophets - the first two and most important sections of the Holy Scriptures.
In the biblical tradition, Elijah is one of the two Old Testament saints who did not see death on earth, but were awarded heaven before the coming of Jesus Christ. According to the Bible, before him, only Enoch, who lived before the Flood, was taken alive into heaven (Gen. 5:24). Therefore, on some icons of the Resurrection you can see Elijah and Enoch at the gates of heaven, meeting the ancient righteous, led out by Christ through the broken gates of hell.
Resurrection of Christ
Iconographic tradition often depicts the holy prophet Elijah ascending to Heaven on a fiery chariot.
Prophet Elijah ascending to Heaven in a fiery chariot
According to Church tradition, the prophet Elijah, together with the forefather Enoch, who was also taken alive to Heaven (Gen. 5:24), will be the Forerunner of the Second Coming of Christ to Earth. For three and a half years, Saints Enoch and Elijah will preach repentance and perform many miracles. With their preaching they will convert people to the true faith. They will be given the power, as during the earthly life of the prophet Elijah, to “...to shut the heavens, so that there shall not come in the days of their prophecy” (Rev. 11:5). After three and a half years of their preaching, the Antichrist will fight with them and kill them, but by the power of God they will be resurrected three and a half days later to signify that the reign of lies and violence before the end of the world will not last long (Rev. 11:11).
The Russian Orthodox people have always treated the memory of the holy prophet Elijah with reverence. He was revered by the Slavs back in the pre-Christian era of our national history.
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Church of the Prophet Elijah in Kyiv, 10th century
The first temple in Kyiv, under Prince Igor (945 A.D.), was dedicated to the holy prophet Elijah; in the chronicle of St. Nestor this temple is called a cathedral, i.e. the main thing. In Constantinople, where there were many Varangian-Russians in the service of the Greek emperors until the 10th century, a church was also built in the name of the prophet Elijah, which was intended for baptized Russian people, as is known from the agreement between the Kievites and the Greeks in 944.
After the Baptism of Rus' in 988 Elias churches began to be erected in large numbers throughout the country. Since ancient times, the believing Russian people have revered the holy prophet Elijah as the patron saint of the harvest, and therefore with special zeal and love they turn to the saint of God on the day of his memory with a prayer for the blessing of the new harvest.
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“The life of the prophet Elijah teaches us what true prophets were like, called by God for a special service, for a special mission - to proclaim to people about God. The prophets were persecuted: “A prophet has no honor in his own country” (John 4:44) , - that is, where he preaches, he is not understood. All prophets had enemies and ill-wishers, people who wished them death. Like all people, prophets had their weaknesses, and they were not always able to carry out the incredibly difficult mission that was entrusted to them - to testify about God to people who did not want to hear this testimony.
As we read about the lives of other prophets, we learn that when the Lord called them, some of them refused. One said that he was too young, the other - Jonah - completely fled from the Face of God, realizing that he did not have the strength to fulfill the mission entrusted to him by God. The prophet Elijah in despair asked God for death. But The prophets were always supported by the grace of God , in their service they came into direct contact with God, meeting Him in personal spiritual experience.
During different periods of human history God sent prophets to people so that people would hear the Word of Truth from them. so that they would testify with miracles to the presence of God and the power of God. And in all eras, prophets were weak people - just like you and me. Their prophetic mission far exceeded their natural human powers, and they, not hoping for own strength, sought help from God. They asked God for spiritual support in difficult moments, when they were abandoned by people, persecuted, when enemies sought their death. And the Lord mysteriously strengthened them with the grace of the Holy Spirit.”
Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev)
On August 2, the Orthodox Church remembers the prophet of God Elijah, one of the beloved saints in Rus', whose Hebrew name is translated as “(Yahweh) my God.” Read about the prophet Elijah and other saints with this name in the material of the magazine “Thomas”.
Soon after the division of Israel into the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, the kings of Israel fell away from the True God. King Ahab and his wife Jezebel were idolaters. They made sacrifices to Baal and persuaded the people to do so. The prophet Elijah announced to the king the will of the Lord: for the wickedness of Ahab, Israel would suffer a great drought.
There was no rain in the entire country for three years, people were dying of hunger. But Ahab's heart remained deaf. For a long time, Elijah hid from the king at a spring in the desert. Every day the crows brought him meat and bread. When the spring dried up, the Lord commanded Elijah to go to Phenicia, to the village of Sarepta.
He settled in the house of a poor widow. Through Elijah’s prayer, the flour in her house did not end throughout the drought.
One day the widow's son fell seriously ill and died. Elijah took the boy, laid him in his room and, bending over him, cried out to God three times... - and the boy came to life.
After three years, Elijah came to Ahab again. He ordered the people of Israel to be gathered to the mountain. Several thousand people and 850 priests of Baal gathered. Elijah ordered to make two altars: one to Baal, the other to the True God. All day long the priests of Baal cried out to their god, but the sky was silent.
Then Elijah erected his altar, laid the sacrifice, ordered a ditch to be dug around it, and ordered water to be poured over the sacrifice and the wood. Through the prayer of the prophet, fire came down from heaven and burned the sacrifice, wood, water and even stones. The people fell to the ground, crying: “Truly the Lord is One God
and there is no other God besides Him!”
Then the sky opened and pouring rain began to fall.
Despite Ahab's repentance, his wife Jezebel threatened to kill the prophet. Elijah fled to Judea. The prophet walked for forty days and, having reached Mount Horeb, settled in a cave. Here, after a terrible storm, earthquake and flame, the Lord Himself appeared to the grieving Elijah “in the quiet wind.”
For his zeal for the Glory of God, the prophet Elijah was taken to Heaven alive. His disciple, the prophet Elisha, witnessed Elijah's ascent to heaven in a chariot of fire.
In the calendar Orthodox Church more than 30 saints named Elijah. Many of them are new martyrs.
The Church venerates this saint as St. Elijah of Pechersk. Folk tales know him as epic hero Ilya Muromets.
Ilya Muromets. Victor Vasnetsov. Fragment of the painting “Bogatyrs”. 1881-1898
Ilya Muromets lived in the 12th century. He was from the Chernigov region, and he really was a strong warrior. At the end of his life, Ilya became a monk in Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. In 1643 he was canonized.
In 1988, a commission of the Ukrainian SSR Ministry of Health conducted an examination of the relics of St. Elijah of Muromets. Research has shown that the Reverend was strong man, had a rather tall height for the Middle Ages, 177 cm. He was found to have signs of a spinal disease (the epic Elijah could not move from birth until the age of 33) and traces of numerous wounds.
Today the relics of Elijah of Pechersk rest in the Near Caves of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.
Ilya Muromets - main character 15 out of 53 plots of Russian heroic epics. The exploits of the hero - traditional plot folk popular print. The most famous image of Ilya Muromets is Viktor Vasnetsov’s painting “Bogatyrs” (1881).
1. Prophet Elijah is one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament. During the Transfiguration, the apostles see Christ talking with Moses and Elijah.
2. The Seer of the Apocalypse says that the prophet Elijah will be the forerunner of the Second Coming of Christ to earth and will accept death from the servants of the Antichrist.
3. The Temple of the Prophet Elijah “on the stream” is the first temple in Rus'. It is mentioned in the treaty between Prince Igor and Byzantium in 944. In the church of the prophet Elijah, the baptized Varangians vowed to comply with the terms of the treaty.
4. Ilyinka is one of oldest streets Moscow. It leads from Red Square to Ilyinsky Gate Square. The street got its name from Ilyinsky monastery XVI century with the stone Church of Elijah the Prophet. The monastery was abolished after the fire of 1626, the church became a parish church and exists to this day.
5. The name Ilya was quite common in Russia. The surname Ilyin, which comes from him, is quite common already in the 18th century. For example, captain 1st rank Dmitry Ilyin was one of the heroes of the Chesma naval battle (1770). And the Russian religious philosopher Ivan Ilyin is known throughout the world.
6. Ilyin’s day - one of the most famous Russians national holidays. When the pagans accepted Christianity, many folk customs were “churched” and replaced by Christian ones. So, for example, the pagan farewell to winter entered into Orthodox tradition like Maslenitsa - the preparatory Cheese Week before the start of Lent. A similar story happened on the day of remembrance of the prophet Elijah.
7. The saying “Peter and Paul reduced the hour, Elijah the prophet dragged away two” has no connection with the Holy Scriptures. The fact is that after August 2 it starts to get dark two hours earlier.
8. Prophet Elijah is considered the patron saint of airborne troops. This veneration arose from the calendar coincidence of the day of remembrance of the prophet and the day of the Airborne Forces: on August 2, during the exercises of the Moscow Military District near Voronezh in 1930, the first parachute landing was landed. Many paratroopers pray to the prophet Elijah as their “professional” protector.
On August 2, the Church celebrates the memory of the holy prophet Elijah - one of the most revered saints of the Old Testament.
Not just one of the most revered saints, both in the Orthodox and in Catholic Churches. Prophet Elijah is one of the most famous people in the history of mankind. He is revered not only in Christianity and Judaism, but also in later Protestant sects and Islam, and traces of his image are present even in pagan religions.
We have collected the most Interesting Facts about the prophet Elijah.
We know nothing about the origin of the prophet Elijah, about his genealogy, and even his name may not be a proper name.
"Eliyahu" in Hebrew means "Yahweh is my God." There is an opinion that the prophet took this name for himself during the confrontation with the priests of Baal.
Contemporary to Elijah, King Ahab of Israel and his wife Jezebel were idolaters: they made sacrifices to the pagan deity Baal (Jezebel came from the Phoenicians who worshiped him, and was herself a priestess) and persuaded the people to do so. Elijah openly denounced the king and queen, thereby earning the hatred of the latter.
As punishment for the king’s persistence in idolatry, the Lord sends heat to the country. For three years there was no rain or dew from the sky. The drought stopped only through the prayer of Elijah, which put the priests of Baal to shame.
This happened under the following circumstances.
Elijah gathered the people of Israel and the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel and proposed to build two altars - to God and to Baal - and to offer sacrifices on them, but not to set it on fire. If Baal burns his victim with fire from heaven, then he is the true God. If the Lord is the true God, He is.
Baal, of course, “did not accept” his sacrifice. God burned not only the sacrifice, but also the firewood, the stone altar, and even the ditch with water, which, by order of Elijah, surrounded the altar.
The people of Israel repented and praised God, and Elijah personally killed all the priests of Baal as those who seduced people. After this, he prayed to the Lord for rain, and the Lord respected his prayer.
According to Holy Tradition, in the history of mankind there are only three people taken to heaven alive: the Apostle John, Enoch and Elijah.
Moreover, if about Enoch are possible different interpretations(in the 5th chapter of the book of Genesis it is said vaguely about his departure from earthly life: “he was no more because God took him”), and we know about John only from Tradition, but about the prophet Elijah it is specifically said in the Bible: “suddenly A chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated them both, and Elijah went up into heaven in a whirlwind” (2 Kings 2:11).
According to church tradition, based on the prophecy of Malachi: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord” (Mal.4:5), the prophet Elijah will become the forerunner of the Second Coming of Christ to earth and will be killed for preaching Christ, repeating the very fate of John the Baptist, who came “in the spirit and power of Elijah” as the Forerunner of the Savior (“Elijah must come first and arrange everything; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did with him as they wanted; so and the Son of Man will suffer from them” (Matthew 17:11-12), says Christ).
The fact that Elijah is one of the heralds of Christ is evidenced by his miracles. During the drought that followed the sins of King Ahab and the people of Israel, he settled in the house of a widow from Zarephath of Sidon, a pagan by birth - just as Christ came to the perishing people of Israel, but, being rejected, was accepted by the pagans.
In the widow’s house, Elijah raised her only son, who had died of illness, just as Christ would raise the dead in His earthly life.
Another miracle in the widow’s house - while the prophet was in it, the oil in the jug did not dry out and the flour did not run out - anticipates the miracle of the loaves and fishes with which the Lord fed those who heard Him.
The Gospel testifies to the fact that Elijah is the greatest of the prophets by the fact that only he and Moses were honored with a conversation with Christ during His Transfiguration on Tabor.
There are different explanations why Christ chooses these two prophets for conversation.
Firstly, Elijah, like Moses, had the experience of direct communication with God: Moses received the law from God, and also communicated with the Almighty as closely as possible for a person - he saw “the back of God” (Ex., 33). Elijah stood face to face before God at His call, “hiding his face with his mantle” (1 Kings 19).
Saint John Chrysostom expresses a different opinion: “one who died and the other who has not yet experienced death” appeared before Christ in order to show that He “has power over life and death, rules over heaven and earth.”
The tradition of the prophet Eliyahu as the forerunner of the Moshiach (Messiah) existed in ancient, even pre-Christian Judaism, and it continues to this day. Moreover: it is believed that Elijah will not only return to earth before the coming of the Messiah, but will also anoint him as king (since there can be no other indication, other than directly by God through the prophet, of a legitimate king after a centuries-long break in dynasties).
Jewish tradition also claims that Eliyahu visits the home of every family celebrating Passover (the remembrance of the exodus from Egypt) - therefore, during the ritual Passover meal, a glass is left on the table for the prophet.
The Prophet Elijah in the Islamic tradition is called by the name Ilyas. His biography briefly repeats the biblical biography of the prophet: he taught to worship the One God, and punished him for worshiping the idol Baal.
Some interpreters of the Koran and Islamic theologians believe that Idris (Enoch), Khidr (prophet - teacher of Moses, also immortal; there is no analogue in the Bible) are other names of Ilyas. The eschatological meaning that is invested in the figure of Elijah in Christianity and Judaism does not exist in Islam. But the belief that he was taken to heaven alive also exists in Islam - it is believed that he travels around the world with Khidr.
In later Islamic literature and legends, Ilyas generally becomes half-man, half-angel.
Due to the fact that, according to Elijah's prophecy, the heavens were closed for three years and rain fell on the earth through his prayer, Elijah is often associated with pre-Christian heavenly deities. Not the least role in these associations was played by the image of the prophet leaving for heaven - on a fiery chariot.
Already in the Christian era, in the fifth century, the poet Sedulius associated the Greek sun god Helios with the name Elijah, especially since both of these names are very close in sound (the name “Elijah” in Greek transcription sounds like “Elias”).
IN Slavic tradition Some functions of the pagan thunder god Perun were transferred to the figure of Elijah the Prophet. And the Komi people even introduced Elijah into the pantheon of their gods: Elijah the prophet is considered an assistant to one of the demiurge deities. His attributes are flint and steel, with which he strikes thunder and lightning.
The veneration of the prophet Elijah in Rus' was widespread even before her Baptism. The first temple built in Kyiv during the reign of Prince Igor was dedicated to the prophet Elijah.
After her baptism, she built a temple, also dedicated to the prophet Elijah, in her native village of Vybuty (Pskov region).
August 2 is “Airborne Forces Day”. Warriors in blue berets celebrate their holiday widely, and those of them who profess themselves Orthodox remember, not without pride, that on the same day the Church remembers the prophet Elijah. Therefore in Lately The prophet Elijah is increasingly called the patron saint of airborne troops.
There is nothing wrong with such calendar symbolism, especially since many of the prophet’s miracles were warlike in the Old Testament. At the same time, it is important not to forget the main thing: the prophet Elijah is the patron saint of the faithful of the Lord, for he himself was faithful to Him in spite of all circumstances, he is also a mentor to the lost, for with his miracles he enlightened the lost people, he is also an example of a chaste life, for he lived in purity, without being married...
It is close to everyone in their own way. Therefore, the prophet Elijah, from whom we are separated by millennia, is one of the most beloved saints among the people.
The word "Prophet" occupies an important place in the biblical dictionary. And, as a rule, is associated with two historical figures. This is Moses and Elijah. With Moses, everything seems to be clear - he led the people of Israel out of slavery, and created the religious-political system of the Jews in general terms, and left his mark for centuries. But with Elijah, not everything is clear. He did not write, and did not lead the masses, and was not, as they would say today, a social activist.
Alexander Ivanov (1806-1858). Elijah the Prophet in the desert.
And yet, why is Ilya so highly exalted by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam? It turns out that the main thing in his ministry was faith - the kind of faith that, at the decisive moment in Jewish history, allowed this people to preserve the true religion. The life of Elijah is an example of how the Lord, by the power of one person, can decide the destinies of an entire people.
...After the death of King Solomon single state, which united the twelve tribes of the Jewish people, was divided into two kingdoms - Judah and Israel. Soon after this, the kings of Israel fell away from worship of the True God and began to worship idols, corrupting their people. But the Lord is never mocked, and during the reign of Ahab and his pagan wife Jezebel, in obedience to God’s will, a great zealot and witness of His glory and power, Elijah the Tishbite, came out to prophetic service. He began his preaching when, among the multimillion population of Palestine, only seven thousand people remained faithful to their Creator. Elijah risked being killed at any moment by order of Jezebel, who destroyed all God's prophets in Israel. But, filled with faith in the Lord, he never deviated from his main calling in life - to return his compatriots to the veneration of the True God.
Material on the topic
Who are prophets really? What is the purpose of their ministry? Has the prophetic gift been preserved in the Church? Are predictions about the future encrypted in the Bible?
…One day a stranger came to Ahab’s palace. He was a tall, middle-aged man. His dark, noble face, scorched by the desert sun and dried by the hot air, was adorned with a thick, bushy beard. Long hair a dense cover fell below the shoulders. Living black eyes looked at Ahab, the radiant gaze of which penetrated into the very depths of the interlocutor’s soul. The stranger, without waiting for any words from the king, said:
– I swear by the Living God, whom I serve! In these years there will be neither dew nor rain, except according to my word.
Ahab was so struck by these words that he stood silent, as if mute. When the visitor began to leave, the king, overcoming his confusion, asked:
- Who are you?
– I am Elijah the Tishbite, prophet of the True God. “The One Whom you forgot, worshiping idols and leading your people to spiritual destruction,” the man answered and, quickly moving away, disappeared into the depths of the gallery...
...When the predicted drought began, and famine and water shortages set in, Elijah, obeying God's command, headed to the spring of Cherith in eastern Palestine. There the ravens fed the saint, bringing him bread and meat morning and evening. But soon the source dried up, and then the Lord ordered Elijah to go west, to the Phoenician village of Sarepta near the city of Sidon.
“Stay there: the widow will feed you,” God told him.
Arriving at the indicated place, the prophet met a poor woman at the gate of the village, who was collecting firewood. Tormented by thirst and hunger, Elijah asked her to bring water and bread. But she said:
“I swear to you that I have no baked goods except a handful of flour.” Behold, I will take firewood and bake the last cake for myself and for my son. We'll eat and die.
The prophet's words came true. The supplies of flour and oil were not depleted, and the woman could freely feed not only herself and her son, but also Saint Elijah, who lived in her house until the end of the drought.
One day this widow's son fell ill. He lay on his bed for some time and soon died. Seeing the grief of the poor mother and wanting to strengthen her faith in God, Elijah took the boy, put him in his room and, bending over him, cried out to God three times: “Lord, my God! May his soul return to this youth!” The Lord heard the prophet’s prayer: the boy came to life and was returned to his mother. Thus, according to God’s providence, for the first time in the history of the Old Testament, the miracle of the resurrection of a dead person was performed...
...The drought had lasted for many months, destroying all vegetation, drying up water bodies and dooming livestock and animals to death. In the third year of drought, the Lord said to Elijah:
“Go and show yourself to Ahab, and I will give rain to the earth.”
On the way to the king, Elijah met a pious man named Obadiah, who served in Ahab's palace. Elijah told him:
- Let Ahab know that I am here.
Obadiah did not agree to do this for a long time, fearing the royal wrath. But Elijah calmed him down, and soon the king himself came to the prophet.
– Are you the one who confuses the Israeli people? - said Ahab, approaching Elijah.
“It’s not I who embarrass him, but you and your father’s entire house.” “You worship idols and have forgotten the Living God,” Elijah answered with courage. – Gather all your priests and bring them to Mount Carmel. There I will wait for you.
On the appointed day, several thousand people gathered under the mountain. A separate group was eight hundred and fifty pagan priests who served the main idol - Baal. The king himself was also present here.
How long will it take you to limp on both knees? - Elijah said, addressing the people. – If the Lord is the True God, then follow Him, and if Baal, then follow him. – And, turning towards the priests, he shouted menacingly:
- There are many of you, but I am alone. Let's make sacrifices: you to Baal, I to the Lord God. But we will not light a fire under the victims. You call on Baal, and I will call on the name of the Lord Almighty. The god who gives his answer and brings down fire from heaven is the Lord of the whole world. Let everyone know who the True God is!
The people liked Elijah's proposal, and the priests were given the right to be the first to offer their sacrifice to Baal. They made an altar, prepared firewood, slaughtered the calf and began to prayerfully cry out to heaven: “Oh, Baal, hear us!” But their prayers were to no avail: the sky was silent, and the victim continued to lie on the wood. Until the evening, the priests screamed, stabbed themselves with knives, convulsively writhed in a shamanic dance, but there was no answer from heaven.
- Enough. Now go away so that I can offer a sacrifice to the Lord God,” Elijah said to the priests. And, turning to the common people, he said:
- Come to me.
Then he built an altar of twelve stones, placed firewood and a slaughtered calf on it, dug a ditch around the altar and poured abundant water on the sacrifice, which flowed down and filled the ditch. Having done all this, Elijah began to pray:
- Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel! Hear me, Lord, hear me now in the fire! May this people know that You are God. And You will turn their hearts to You!
And then the Lord showed a miracle: a huge fiery flame came down from heaven and destroyed the calf, the wood, the altar, and even the water with which Elijah poured over the sacrifice. Everything was consumed by fire.
People fell on their faces in fear, praising God and repeating: “The Lord is the True God!”
“You can go home,” Elijah told Ahab. “Eat and drink, for I can already hear the sound of rain.”
Having said this, the saint climbed to the top of the mountain and began to pray to God for the gift of rain. After some time, a small cloud appeared in the western sky, which became larger and larger. And now menacing gray clouds covered the sky, a strong wind blew and heavy rain began to fall, feeding the tormented earth with long-awaited moisture...
...Were getting closer last days earthly life of the prophet Elijah. One day the Lord told him:
- Go to the village of Abel-Mekhol and there you will find Elisha, the son of Saphat. Anoint and bless him for prophetic ministry, for he will become your disciple and your successor after you.
Elisha joyfully followed Elijah and became his constant companion. One day they came to the Jordan. It was necessary to move to opposite bank, but there was no crossing in this place. Elijah took his cloak and struck the water with it. The water parted in front of him, and he and Elisha crossed to the other side along the dry bottom. The student and teacher began to say goodbye.
“Soon the Lord will take me away.” Ask, what should you do before we part?
“Father, let the power that is in you and the prophetic gift that you have be doubly upon me.”
“It’s not easy to do what you ask.” But if you see how I will be taken from you, then your request will be fulfilled.
So they walked and talked. Suddenly a fiery chariot with fiery horses appeared and carried the great prophet of God to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha, following his mentor with his eyes, shouted:
- Father! The chariot of Israel and his cavalry! With your exploits, prayers and zeal for the Lord, you helped the Israeli people more than the royal chariots and troops did!
Elisha left the place of separation with sadness. But then he saw his teacher’s cloak on the ground, which had been thrown by Elijah from the chariot as a sign that he was passing on the prophetic gift to his student. Elisha gratefully picked up his cloak and never parted with it. The spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha...
