The Photo-Drama of Creation - The Herald

Elijah and the Priests of Baal
Ahab, King of Israel, misled by his queen, Jezebel, perverted
the religion in God's typical Kingdom. The
ordained worship in the Temple was neglected and
image worship established. The faithful Prophet Elijah reproved
King Ahab, and was compelled by the wicked Queen
Jezebel to flee into the wilderness, where ravens fed him for
three and one-half years.--1 Kings 17:5,6.
Finally, by God's direction, Elijah reappeared and challenged
the priests of Baal to a public test as to which god
could answer prayer, Jehovah or Baal. Whichever god would
accept the offering by fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice,
should be acknowledged as the true God. The Israelites saw
the fairness of the proposition, and Baal's priests could not
avoid the issue. Elijah gave them the preference. All day
long they agonized, cut themselves with stones and cried to
Baal to accept the offering and vindicate his cause. Elijah
mocked them, saying, Cry a little louder! Baal may be
sleeping! or perhaps he has gone on a journey!
When the evening came, Elijah gave his test. First of all
he had water carried and poured over all the altar and the
sacrifice, that there should be no mistake; lest any one might
think of any concealed fire. Then Elijah prayed to God to
vindicate His cause. Fire descended from heaven and consumed
the sacrifice, licking up even the water in the trench.
When the people saw this they gave a great shout and declared,
"Jehovah, He is God!"--1 Kings 18:30-39.
Bible students claim that Elijah represented the True
Church, Queen Jezebel a false religious system, Ahab the
governments
of Earth. The time of Jezebel's persecution, when
Elijah hid in the wilderness and there was no rain for 1260
days, represented 1260 years of spiritual drouth (538 A.D. to
1798 A.D.), when the antitypical Jezebel's power to persecute
to death ceased.--Revelation 12:6,14;13:5.
Elisha, Elijah's successor, restored the Shunammite's son.
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