Elijah is a favorite Bible character for every Jewish child and most adults. He is often remembered most quickly as the person of the fifth Passover cup, for near the end of the Passover observance children get up from the dinner table, open the door of their home for the prophet to enter and when they return to the Seder table they find Elijah has come and drank a once full cup which was especially prepared for him.
In the process of this observance the Passover leader explains that Elijah is a Bible hero who never died, and he was one of only two people ever taken alive to heaven. He rode to heaven, according to 2 Kings 2:11, with a chariot of fire and a whirlwind. Because Elijah is alive, and never died, he can come back to earth. And Elijah returns in order to alleviate poverty, save people from troubles, and to answer difficult questions for the Rabbis.
The Talmudic tractate Kiddushin [40a] that tells about the virtue and the poverty of a certain Rabbi Kahana. He told a powerful woman who had made advances toward him that he had to get himself ready for their tryst; instead he went up to the roof and hurled himself off to avoid sinning. Enter Elijah, who caught him and then reproached him: "You have troubled me to come a long distance to save you." When the rabbi replied, "I was forced to do it due to my poverty," Elijah gave him a basketful of dinars.
Elijah was a prophet who was not afraid to speak for God. He spoke openly to King Ahab and Queen Jezebel about their sins. As a result of their sins Elijah told them (and it was fulfilled) it would not rain in Israel for three and a half years. He also challenged the prophets of Baal to call down fire from heaven. Elijah won the challenge. Elijah cared for the poor, feeding a poor widow. He also raised the dead. He was a great prophet.
At the end of the Old Testament in the book of Malachi there is a prophecy about Elijah which says, “But I will send you Elijah the prophet before that great and terrifying day of the Lord’s judging. Elijah will help parents love their children and children love their parents. Otherwise, I will come and put a curse on the land.”
It is through these traditions that the Jews and many Christians believe Elijah will return. He will return to announce the Messiah, and it is believed he will return at the end of time. As Moses is a representative of the law, Elijah is the representative of the prophets.
The tradition of Elijah was recognized in the New Testament, for Matthew 17 says, “Jesus took Peter, James, and John, the brother of James, up on a high mountain by themselves. While they watched, Jesus’ appearance was changed; his face became bright like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. Then Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.”
Zechariah the priest of whom we are reading today in Advent Journeys was told by the Angel Gabriel that his wife would give birth to a son, and Zechariah was to name him John. The angel further told Zechariah, “ He will help many people of Israel return to the Lord their God. He will go before the Lord in spirit and power like Elijah. He will make peace between parents and their children and will bring those who are not obeying God back to the right way of thinking, to make a people ready for the coming of the Lord.”
Jesus says of John the Baptist: “Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! … And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11)
No comments:
Post a Comment