“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (NIV, Ephesians 4:11 – 13, italicized and bold are mine)
Greetings again.
I have some wonderful insight on Elijah to share with you.
If you’re not familiar with the story of Elijah I recommend reading Chapters 17 through 22 of 1 Kings and the first two Chapters of 2 Kings.
The story of Elijah is packed with “types” foretelling Christ, his personal journey and ministry, and also events in the gospel age, particularly the end times.
I’ll share some Scriptures in the next post about “types” in the Old pointing to the New.
****
There’s no build up to Elijah, he just suddenly appears on the scene prophesying to Ahab.
Elijah has a specific ministry and an escape planned by God from the beginning – prefiguring the bride’s ministry at the end of the gospel age and last-minute rescue.
Briefly, Elijah’s ministry begins about 70 plus years after the division of Israel into two kingdoms, the northern and southern.
(This is eerily similar to the body of Christ in the last days where part of the body remains camped at the feasts of Passover and Pentecost, while others venture on into the feast of Tabernacles, the bride.)
Israel was a united kingdom for only a short time.
After Solomon, Israel split into two kingdoms with Judah and Benjamin as the “South” and the rest of the tribes as the “North.”
God raised up Elijah during the ungodly reign and oppression of Ahab and Jezebel over Israel in the North.
From all appearances, Jezebel was instrumental in bringing the worship of Baal into the northern kingdom, deepening the kingdom’s fall into the embrace of evil.
In fact, Israel’s fall into darkness would eventually exceed the Canaanites, who God drove out of the land “of milk and honey” for Israel.
Regarding their rule of the northern kingdom, the Scriptures record:
“Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him.” (NIV, 1 Kings 16:33)
“(There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before Israel.)” (NIV, 1 Kings 21:25 – 26)
One Theme, One Story, One Unfolding Revelation Connected by God
Elijah appeared with Moses at the transfiguration of Christ and played a significant role, like Moses, as “types,” along with many others in the Old Testament, prefiguring in “story” the coming Messiah’s personal journey (his preparation) and public ministry (turning the hearts of the people back to God).
And in depicting different aspects of the story of Christ, the saints of old depict our journey of preparation and ministry as well.
There’s a progressive revelation of God in “story” in the Old Covenant (and in the ancients) pointing to the revelation of Christ in the New – his journey and ministry – and the revelation of Christ in you and me – our journey and ministry.
Speaking of those who came before Christ, the Scripture says, “… since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (NIV, Hebrews 11:40)
Elijah reveals God’s outreach to men and women in the midst of severe and uncertain times, apostasy, and, a “public” who’s governance is opposed to God, preferring darkness over light.
The slow process of apostasy over a few generations has the northern kingdom in its’ iron grip, going as far as “…killing off the LORD’s prophets…” (NIV, 1 Kings 18:4)
****
“…the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people,…” (NIV, Revelation 17:6, italicized and bold are mine)
“The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.” (NIV, Revelation 17:16, italicized and bold are mine)
When the fullness of darkness comes, it unleashes with a fury hatred for the people of God with one goal in mind, killing all those who are not in agreement with evil, and, eventually, those who helped bring it to power, clearing the slate of anyone who could be a threat.
The prostitute of Revelation, who, with the Beast, has the blood of the saints on her hands, will receive the same from the Beast.
This is the way of the world. Evil working together to build evil and then turning upon itself, because hatred only breeds hatred and death.
It’s happened in times past, and set to happen again in the Tribulation.
Thankfully, like Elijah, God has an escape plan, for those who prepare and are allowed to be prepared by the Lord.
He is a type of the bride in the last days – in ministry and rescue, just in the nick of time.
The Antichrist has his bride, the Woman of Revelation Chapters 17 and 18.
However, the Antichrist’s bride faces a different outcome than Christ’s.
These are those with influence from all walks of life, including religions, who help and are complicit in the Beast coming to power and persecution of God’s people.
Those of influence who embrace the Spirit of darkness of this present age, trumpeting humanism, calling good evil and evil good, are walking into the snare of the fowler and certain captivity.
Those who cry for freedom from God will become captive to darkness.
Hatred turns on itself and destroys those who helped destroy others.
We see this over and over again when dictators come to power, they purge those who were once their comrade.
Darkness has no limits to its hatred and sees anyone other than themselves as safe. Such is the law of sin.
****
The story of Elijah is a glimpse – shadow – of end time events.
I hope the story of Elijah stirs your passions, creates awareness, and helps you discover more of the treasures of Christ in the story and lives of others, and in the unfolding story of your own life.
Elijah
We don’t know a lot about Elijah.
He just shows up and we find him on a two meal a day fast.
He comes out of nowhere and becomes the center of God’s attention in dealing with the northern kingdom.
He comes to Israel in the time of spiritual famine, a drought of God’s presence.
He depicts the prophetic nature of Christ, the revelation of God’s word to the hearts and minds of people like you and me.
Though the priestly nature of Christ is seen in the life of Elijah – reconciling men and women to God at the altar of sacrifice, as a priest, sacrificing all things to reconcile the love of God to those held captive to sin – it is the “prophetic” which ushers in the drought, the glory of God, the destruction of evil, and the rain.
The spiritual famine, or drought, was Israel’s own making, choosing to walk in the ways of the Canaanites before them.
The actual drought was God’s acknowledgment of their deep spiritual fall – their captivity to sin – his displeasure over them choosing other lovers.
It was an olive branch in the form of discomfort and pain hoping to birth desire once again in Israel for the favor of God.
Simply, God set the stage, withholding rain from the northern kingdom, to prepare their hearts for the sudden return of his Spirit at an appointed time – the fullness of time according to the calendar of God – when hearts are broken enough to turn from sin and cleave to him, and not so broken they cannot be redeemed.
Well Fed with the Temporal Things of This Life
When people are well fed – intoxicated with the cares of this life – they find it all but impossible to venture all for Christ.
Especially in the 21st century, having so much at our fingertips, the pull of the passions of this world on the unhealed and unrestored areas of our lives can be relentless.
The enemy has a lot of practice over millenniums dealing with men and women’s wounds and sins.
That, coupled with the natural bent toward sin – the unredeemed areas of one’s life – presents an impossible hurdle to overcome left alone and unbridled from Christ.
But God.
God has a plan to take his sons and daughters unto himself in the wilderness and “father” them in the ways of God – cleaning them up and restoring them to Christ and the promises of God.
Without the intervention of Christ, Christianity becomes an institution and not the adventure in the wilderness with Jesus it was designed to be.
The “Spirit” of this age is lulling many to sleep, knowingly and unknowingly becoming unconcerned about their spiritual condition.
The plan and promises of God, the mandate to advance the kingdom of God in one’s life and in the lives of others, is all but lost, a distant echo, swallowed up by the cares and uncertain promises of this life.
When the belly is full with the cares of this life, there’s little or no room for intimacy with God and the discomfort and disruption it brings to the natural order of wounds and sins.
I know that personally, where work and temporal pleasures became pretty much the sole focus for living.
And at other times, at different stages, I satisfied my deep longings through a multitude of good Christian works in and out of the Church, unaware of the deep desire Jesus had to know me, and me him.
Eventually, the bad fruit comes to fruition, along with famine and drought, like Israel of old, revealing one’s brokenness and desperate need for God, and the utter foolishness of placing confidence and trust in temporal pleasures and what makes one feel secure.
The pressures of this age and the spiritual warfare in our own lives and about us are unlike generations past.
Today, God is providing a way of escape from bad fruit, famine and drought, a light burden and an easy yoke, by inviting sons and daughters into the feast of Tabernacles, his presence.
The feast of Tabernacles is the invitation by the Lord to go into the wilderness with him to be equipped, healed, and restored.
Once in the wilderness with Jesus, there’s no turning back. You’ve entered the third and final feast for preparation of the bride.
The story in the wilderness is “about Christ in us,” being rescued and redeemed by the Lord, so we can help rescue and redeem others near and far away.
Back to Elijah
Elijah learned firsthand what it was like to have the temporal pleasures of this world laid aside and be fed by the Lord in the wilderness of God.
His source of care and comfort, and resources, came from God and not from the world.
He learned to live in the promises and provision of God and not the gratification of the lower nature by the passions, appetites, and desires of the world.
It took a long journey and a deep work of God in Elijah to “birth” and “mature” the glory of God on display, for a brief moment, to the people of God in the northern kingdom.
Freely he received and freely he gave.
Though the Scripture is silent, Elijah must have been trained extensively and deeply in the ways of God before his first appearance to Ahab.
His whole life was probably dedicated to God from his youth.
Many of us do not have that history or luxury.
And, thankfully, we do not live under the Old Covenant like he did.
In the book of Romans, Scripture says the Lord will do a quick work in the last days, and it is being done in young and old alike today.
When evil comes to fullness it takes a deep work of God to bring it to its heels.
Traditional Christianity is no match for the darkness unleashed today nor gathering for the future.
It will take a deep work of God to prepare people to be able to stand and help rescue and redeem others.
Elijah was one who by faith and obedience refused the temporal pleasures of this world, its overwhelming abundance and ability to satiate the lower nature, to risk the call of God in his life.
God thwarted Israel’s ability to be “well fed” by the world – to get their attention – by pronouncing a drought.
He knew the disruption and discomfort it would bring to God’s people hoping to cultivate hearts of repentance and turn eyes heavenward.
Elijah learned what it was like to be dependent on God, to be separated from the world and embraced by the Lord.
To know and be known by the Lord, intimate, to hear the voice of the Lord for his life, and at the appointed time, to hear for those under sins captivity.
God provided for Elijah during the famine in the wilderness and for others through him. He was safe in the wilderness with God.
The Promise of God to Provide for Those under His Care
Elijah comes to an Antichrist world system with Ahab and Jezebel at its’ head, not much different from the Antichrist system building today.
Jezebel prefigures the “prostitute” of Revelation Chapters 17 and 18 – she’s a strong example of men and women sold to sin riding on the back of the Beast coming to power in the last days.
Ahab prefigures the first appearing of the Antichrist, the seventh world system, before and during the end time revival.
Old covenant types give us a picture, a glimpse in the form of a shadow or pattern, of things to come in the future.
Today
We’re in the beginning stages of spiritual famine and apostasy in the church of Christianity at large.
I believe it’s the type of famine and apostasy prophesied in Scripture preceding the revelation of the bride, the Antichrist (the first revealing), in the closing decades of the gospel era.
The Lord has put in the hearts of many Christians we are on the cusp of a paradigm shift, likely on par with the times of Noah and the times of Christ.
Based upon five major differing yet comparable series of accounts in Scripture covering six millenniums, numerous prophecies, the accelerated and progressive moves of God over the last 500 years, the understanding of the Church ages and the present one (Philadelphia) we live in, the revelation of the feast of Tabernacles in the Church today (the third and final feast), and the revelation of the Holy Spirit bringing all this together in preparing the Church for what is to come, leads to one and only one conclusion – the stage is being set by the Lord to do an unprecedented work in unprecedented times (this is not in reference to the current pandemic) – possibly ushering in the Millennium sooner than we may think or desire.
Jesus has labored for two millenniums to have a bride to share in his millennial rule. He’s had brides through church history and he’ll have another in the closing days of the gospel.
Today there are Christians desperate for the presence of God, having no one to shepherd them into the deep things of God.
Others are seemingly content with their spiritual condition, not knowing which way to turn, unaware of the shallowness of their faith and relationship with Christ, while deep wounds and sins fester.
They know there’s something missing and there’s more in Christ, but lack a shepherd who’s been in the wilderness and can feed them the deep things of God.
And still others are simply unconcerned, satisfied with the loaves and fishes, lacking the resurrection power of life in Christ.
And, if that wasn’t enough, we have to contend with an enemy who’s only aim, by whatever means, be it sleep or the sword, is “… to steal and kill and destroy…” (NIV, John 10:10)
But God.
Today, globally, God is preparing, in the womb of the Church, an army of believers from every walk and station of life to say yes to the Lord and venture with him into the deep things of God.
Jesus is selecting among the masses of Christianity worldwide wise virgins to be intimate with him – spiritually speaking – and birth Christ in our lives.
It’s the promise of the father and Christ’s ongoing mandate, to clean, heal, and restore God’s sons and daughters to the likeness of Christ.
One day, when the fullness of time comes, the young eaglets will jump out of their nest and learn to soar in the Spirit as their father and mother have done so many times before.
It will take time and many attempts.
But there’s coming a day in the body of Christ, when children and young men and women, spiritually speaking, have matured to “fathers,” the Lord will usher those who have been hidden in the womb of his care into the public spotlight, whether small or large, to reveal his unquenchable love and grace one last time to a world headed off the cliff to eternal darkness.
God’s got some wonderful surprises up ahead. We can see some of the prophetic mountain tops, but there’s deep valleys yet to be explored.
I have a lot more on Elijah to come, it may take a number of posts.
Blessings, Drake
(NIV) Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblical, Inc.™
