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Elijah, the King of the Prophets:Elijah or Elias was a prophet of God in the Kingdom of the North, in Israel, during the time of 1 Kings.Elijah is the King of the Prophets of the Old Testament, the one who appeared with Jesus in his Transfiguration at Mount Tabor representing the Prophets, with Moses representing the Law (Mat.17).How come Elijah represents the Prophets if he didn't even write a word?... His beginnings were just as obscure as his departure was glorious.... He came from nowhere and he went up by a whirlwind into heaven on "a fiery chariot" (2K.2:11)... Enoch was the other person in the Bible who never really died (Gen.5:24).But his prophetic fervor and fierce defense of God in the face of pagan influences earned him the honor of being the 'guardian angel' of the Hebrews. Because he was considered the strongest defender of the only one God, he was said to be the forerunner of the Messiah, as states the Book of Malachi, the last of the Hebrew prophets, who proclaims that Elijah would reappear just before the coming of the Messianic Age (Mal.3:1, 4:5-6): - "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty. (Mal.3:1). - "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse." (Mal.4:5-6)... the last words of the Old Testament.Jesus said Elijah came as John the Baptist, the greatest prophet: - John the Baptist is the one about whom it is written: " 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; (Mat.11:10-11). - But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist. (Mat.17:12-13). We see the spirit of Elijah present in the ministry of John the Baptist, again, pointing an accusing finger at the wicked rulers of his day, just as he did to king Ahab and the the People of God of his time.In the Book of Revelation: Elijah will be one of the two witnesses in the streets of Jerusalem. The other one will be Moses, as most theologians believe... again, the two persons who appeared with Jesus in His Transfiguration at Mount Tabor (Rev.11)... the two witnesses will be a thorn in the side of the final world dictator and his followers, just as Elijah was to king Ahab and Jezebel... according to some Christian commentators, it would consist in converting the Jews (St. Jer., in Mal., iv, 5-6).The Carmelite monks long cherished the belief that their order could be traced back in unbroken succession to Elias or Elijah whom they hailed as their founder.In Rabbinical Literature:..Elijah" (Eliyahu ha-nabi'), has been glorified in Jewish legend more than any other Biblical personage. The three leading notes struck by the Haggadah are: Elijah the precursor of the Messiah, Elijah zealous in the cause of God. Elijah the helper in distress. The Haggadah calls him "the bird of heaven", because like a bird he flies through the world and appears where a sudden divine interference is necessary (Ps.viii. 9, Hebr., Midr. Teh. ad loc.; see also Ber. 4b; Targ. on Eccles. x. 20). Even today, Jewish tradition believes that Elijah visits every Passover seder that takes place around the world. The Cup of Elijah, filled with wine, is confirmation of the hope of Elijah's arrival into the house. Since the Book of Prophets says that Elijah the Prophet is the forerunner of the arrival of the Messiah, opening the door for Elijah means that Jews hope that Elijah will arrive to mark the coming of the Messiah and the ultimate redemption for the Jewish people. Mention must also be made of a statement, found only in the later cabalistic literature, according to which Elijah was an angel in human form, so that he had neither parents nor offspring. (Yal?u? Reubeni, Bereshit, 9a, ed. Amsterdam). See MelchizedekAll Moslems have the prophet in great reverence; no Druse, in particular, would dare break an oath made in the name of Elias. Elijah is mentioned in the Koran as a prophet together with Zechariah, John, and Jesus (sura vi. 85).Every part of the prophet's life bears out the description of the writer of Ecclesiasticus: "Elijah was as a fire, and his word burnt like a torch" (Sirach 48:1).In short: Elijah was a hero of faithfulness to God in Israel and a courageous prophet. He was an ascetic, clad in skins and a leather girdle, dwelling in mountain caves. He appeared abruptly when King Ahab executed many priests of God, and announced to him God's vengeance and the drought. On Mt. Carmel, he overcame the priests of Baal by calling down fire from Heaven. He was persecuted by Jezebel and fled to Mt. Horeb where God consoled him, fed him with bread brought by ravens, and told him to appoint Elisha as his successor. Elijah was carried into heaven in a fiery chariot, while his mantle fell on Elisha.