The priest told about the life of the prophet of God Elijah

The Prophet Elijah is one of the most revered saints of the Old Testament, who lived in the 9th century BC. The rector of the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica in the Baltic Pearl, Priest Sergius Kubyshkin, told Izvestia about the most important events of his life.

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The writings of the apostles became an important foundation of Christian teaching, and their epistles became part of the New Testament.

According to the priest, already at the very beginning of the biblical narrative, Elijah appears as a man of firm faith: he announces a drought to King Ahab as a result of the people's apostasy from God. Next, the prophet goes through a series of trials: he lives by the stream of Khorath, receives food from ravens, helps a poor widow in Sarepta — through his prayer, the woman's son is resurrected.

The priest paid special attention to Elijah's confrontation with the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel. At that time, two altars were built on the mountain — a pagan one and one to the One God. According to the terms of the competition, the winner was the one whose victim lit up first. The Magi never got an answer from Baal, and at the prayer of the prophet Elijah, fire immediately descended from heaven.

"How long have you been limping on both knees?" This question was addressed to people who wanted to both honor God and preserve pagan cults. The prophet shows that faith cannot be double," Kubyshkin explained.

The priest also noted that the Scriptures do not paint Elijah as an impeccable hero: after the threats of Queen Jezebel, the prophet gets scared, goes into the desert, feels lonely and exhausted.

Speaking about the completion of the prophet's earthly ministry, Priest Sergiy Kubyshkin explained that, according to the biblical text, a fiery chariot and fiery horses separated Elijah and his disciple Elisha, and the prophet himself was taken to heaven in a whirlwind. This, according to the priest, is a sign of God's special providence for the prophet and the completion of his earthly path. For Elisha, the event was a moment of succession. At the same time, this event cannot be identified with the Ascension of Christ: if Christ ascends by His Divine authority, then Elijah is accepted by God.

Read more about prayers to the Prophet Elijah in the Izvestia article:

"Why people turn to the Prophet Elijah in the most difficult moments of their lives: how does the saint help"