Who was Elijah?

The battle of the divinities

Elijah lived in the Kingdom of Israel 3,000 years ago. The king at the time, Ahab, tried hard to promote the pagan cult of Baal. Singlehandedly, Elijah rejected this idolatry and won. How did he do it? The secret to his success is in his name. In one of the most famous Biblical stories, Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest on Mount Carmel. Which divinity, God or Baal, would visibly consume a sacrifice? 

What’s in a name?

Naturally, Baal never showed up. But the true Lord consumed Elijah’s sacrifice in a flash of fire. The people were stunned and exclaimed “the Lord indeed is God!” (1 Kings 18:39). In Hebrew this phrase contains the same two words that make up the name Elijah (יְהוָה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים). The name Elijah, Eliyahu (אליהו) in Hebrew, is composed of two Hebrew words: Eli (אלי), meaning ”my God” and Yahu (יהו)- a part of the Hebrew name of the Lord YHWH (יהוה).
    

Discover the true meaning

It is fitting that Elijah is called “My God is the Lord”, because he alone saves the worship of the one true God by vanquishing the prophets of Baal. In the Bible, someone’s name tells us about their history, their intentions, and what God has in store for them. But you cannot understand the real meaning of Biblical names without knowing the real language of the Bible. Study the Bible in Hebrew and begin to see the true meaning behind the scriptures. 

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