Who is the prophet Elijah and why do Orthodox Christians revere him? Icon "Ilya the Prophet": photo, what helps

His memory is celebrated on July 20 (August 2), see Ilyin's day.

Also considered the patron saint of the airborne troops and the air force.

Name

Sometimes, according to the place of birth in the city of Thisbe, the prophet Elijah is called Elijah the Thesbite.

Eliyahu means "My God" (אלי - my God; יהו - short form name of God, in the synodal translation is translated as the Lord).

In Hebrew, directly in relation to the prophet Elijah, two spellings are used: אֵלִיָּהוּ ( Eliyahu) (1 Kings, 3 Kings) and אֵלִיָּה ( Elijah) (Small). in the name Eliyahu(other Heb. אֵלִיָּהוּ ‎ ) the letter "x" (ה, "hey") is pronounced as glottal [h]. Due to the dissimilarity of languages ​​​​and the imperfection of the translation into ancient Greek, Greek, Old Slavonic, and then Russian, the name Eliyahu transformed into Or me.

Life

Elijah was a zealous defender of the purity of faith in the kingdom of Israel and a formidable denouncer of idolatry and wickedness. His activity dates back to the reign of Ahab, when the proud and power-hungry wife of a weak-willed king, the Phoenician Jezebel, decided to establish the cult of Baal and Astarte.

Tradition says that the true zealots of piety were expelled from the country, and a staff of priests of Baal was established at the court. A formidable avenger for the trampling of the shrine was the prophet Elijah, who performed many miracles in order to reason with the wicked king. The history of his life and work is set out in the Third and Fourth Books of Kings (1 Kings and 2 Kings).

When the wickedness of the king reached an extreme degree, the prophet - barefoot, in a coarse cloak made of camel hair, with a leather belt on his loins and a staff in his hands - appeared in Samaria, went to the royal palace and announced to Ahab that for his wickedness the country was suffering a three-year famine. But Ahab did not repent, a struggle began between the king and the prophet, ending in the triumph of the latter. During the sacrifice on Mount Carmel (Carmel), arranged to test and compare the power of Yahweh and Baal, the priests of the latter suffered a complete defeat and were personally executed by the prophet (1 Kings). This further enraged Jezebel, who vowed to destroy Elijah.

But the prophet, like the wind, disappeared into the wilderness. Having been at Mount Horeb, Elijah again returned to the kingdom of Israel, denounced Ahab for the dishonorable seizure of the vineyard from Naboth, by the will of the Lord chose a disciple and successor in the person of Elisha, finally humbled Ahab and denounced his successor Ahaziah for his appeal on the occasion of illness to the Ekaron idol Beelzebub.

Ascension. Immortality

Miracles in the Old Testament

• Brought hunger (1 Kings).
• He brought down fire to the earth (1 Kings).
• He brought down fire from heaven both for the punishment of sinners and for a sign of true worship of God.
• According to him, the food in the widow's house did not end - see Sarepta widow
• He resurrected the youth, who, presumably, later became the prophet Jonah - see Sarepta widow
• Divided the Jordan River like Moses, hitting it with his clothes.
• He spoke with God face to face, while covering his face.
• According to the word of God, ravens and angels brought him food.
• He was swaddled by angels and fed on fire at birth.
• It is believed that he is one of the two lamps coming before God and anointed by Him (Apocalypse and the prophet Zechariah).
• He was taken alive to heaven for special righteousness before God.
• By his prayer, the sky was "closed" and did not give rain.
• Also, through his prayer, God gave rain to the earth after the "conclusion" of Heaven.
• Appeared together with the prophet Moses before Jesus Christ on the day of the Transfiguration and talked with Him.
• He prophesied and revealed to people the Will of God.

Prophet Elijah in the New Testament

The prophet Elijah is mentioned several times in the New Testament. This is how the episode is described how the elders and the people asked John the Baptist when he preached on the banks of the Jordan in the spirit and power of Elijah and even looked like him in appearance, is he Elijah? Also, the disciples of Jesus Christ, according to the Gospel of Matthew, asked Him if Elijah should not come before the Messiah. To which Christ replied: “True, Elijah must come first and arrange everything; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him as they wished; so the Son of Man will suffer from them.”(Matt.). Then the disciples understood that Jesus was talking about John the Baptist, who was beheaded (Mk.).

Prophet Elijah in Judaism

Ilyas was sent to the Israelites, who deviated from the commandments of Allah, and began to worship idols. He was guided by the Sharia of Musa (Moses). The tribe of the prophet Ilyas erected a gigantic monument 8-10 meters high to their main idol Baal in Baalbek. Ilyas urged his fellow tribesmen to abandon the worship of Baal, but his sermon was not accepted by his people. The tribesmen of Ilyas considered his words a lie and expelled him, for which they were severely punished. The beginning of the drought caused crop failure, death of livestock and famine. The Israelites returned Ilyas, and they again began to obey him and worship Allah. Thanks to the prayers of the Prophet, the rains came and life in the tribe returned to normal. Over time, the people again returned to idolatry, for which they became doomed to eternal torment hell.

After leaving his tribe, Elias began to preach among other Israelite tribes, one of which received him well. With the help of prayer, Ilyas healed a young man named Al-Yasa, who became his faithful disciple and the next Israeli prophet.

Islamic tradition tells of the righteous Ilyas, to whom Allah granted power over the rain, and then raised him to heaven. He travels the world all the time with Khidr, regularly visiting Jerusalem and Mecca. When he and Khidr part, they say praises to each other, repeating which people can protect themselves from fire, drowning, theft, bites from poisonous snakes and insects, etc. Sometimes Ilyas is identified with Khidr or the prophet Idris.

In the Slavic tradition

According to Slavic folk legends, based on the book (biblical, Bogomil) tradition, Ilya was taken alive to heaven. Until the age of 33, Ilya sat in bed and was healed and endowed with great power by God and St. Nicholas (cf. Bogatyr), after which he was ascended to heaven (eagles), cf. epic story about Ilya Muromets. The saint rides across the sky in a fiery (golden) chariot. According to Ukrainian beliefs, the sun is a wheel from the chariot of Elijah the Prophet, Milky Way- the road along which the prophet rides, harnessed by fiery (white, winged) horses (v.-glory), or on a white horse (Bolg.), which is why thunder occurs. In winter, Ilya rides a sleigh, so there is no thunderstorm and thunder (eagles.). The power of Elijah the Thunderer is so great that it has to be restrained: God laid a stone of 40 tithes (eagles) on Elijah's head, forged one arm and a leg (Carpathian); Ilya's sister Fiery Mary hides from him the day of his holiday, otherwise he will beat the whole world with lightning for joy (Serb.); at St. Elijah has only his left hand; if he had both hands, he would have killed all the devils on earth (Banat gers). Before the end of the world, Ilya will descend to earth and go around the world three times, warning of the Last Judgment (orlov.); will come to earth to die or accept martyrdom by cutting off the head on the skin of a huge ox that grazes on seven mountains and drinks seven rivers of water; the blood of the prophet spilled at the same time will burn the earth (Carpathians). According to a legend from Galicia, the end of the world will come when Ilya "is so full of thunder that the earth is rosipitsi and burned"; cf. Russian spiritual verse "On the Last Judgment", in the variants of which the saint acts as an executor of the will of the Lord, punishing the sinful human race.

The peaks of the Greek mountains often bear the name of St. Elijah, and most of them have chapels dedicated to him. The most famous of them stands on the highest peak of Taygetos, nicknamed "the mountain of St. Elijah” already in the 18th century, according to the Laconian poet Nikita Nifaki. On the twentieth of July /, on the day dedicated by the Eastern Church to the memory of the prophet, pilgrims, who with difficulty climbed to the top of the mountain, make many fires in the evening, into which they throw incense in honor of the saint. As soon as the surrounding inhabitants see these lights, they themselves begin to burn heaps of hay and straw, dance around and jump over them. Remarkably, next to the custom of burning bonfires on Taygetus on the feast of St. Elijah, the absence of the same custom there on June 24 / known in other parts of Greece and throughout Europe.

see also

• Ilyas - Elijah the Prophet in Islam
• Uacilla - Elijah the prophet in the Ossetian epic and folk Orthodoxy
• Tel Mar Ilyas - the hill from which Elijah ascended

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Notes

1. see Krumm Acher, Stanley, and Milligan, Elijah, his life and times.
5. John of Damascus. Exact presentation of the Orthodox faith. Book. 4. 1894. S. 267.
8. Mk.
9. , With. 94.
10. , With. 95.
11. , With. 405.
12. , With. 139.
13. , With. 205.

Literature

• Ali-zade, A. A. Ilyas: [ October 1, 2011] // Islamic Encyclopedic Dictionary. - M. : Ansar, 2007.
• Elijah St. / O. V. Belova // Slavic Antiquities: Ethnolinguistic Dictionary: in 5 volumes / Ed. N. I. Tolstoy; . - M. : International Relations, 1999. - Vol. 2: D (Giving) - K (Crumbs). - S. 405–407. - ISBN 5-7133-0982-7.
• Veselovsky A. N. Favorites: Traditional spiritual culture. - M .: Russian Political Encyclopedia (ROSSPEN), 2009. - 624 p. - (Russian Propylaea). - ISBN 978-5-8243-1279-9.
• // Orthodox Encyclopedia. Volume XXII. - M .: Church-Scientific Center "Orthodox Encyclopedia", 2009. - S. 236-259. - 752 p. - 39,000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-89572-040-0
• Lopukhin A.P.// Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
• / Comp. and comment. O. V. Belova; Rep. ed. V. Ya. Petrukhin. - M .: Indrik, 2004. - 576 p. - (Traditional spiritual culture of the Slavs. Publication of texts). - ISBN 5-85759-290-9.
• Piotrovsky M. B.// Islam: encyclopedic dictionary / rev. ed. S. M. Prozorov. - M. : Nauka, 1991. - S. 93-94.

Links

• - article from the Electronic Jewish Encyclopedia

Excerpt characterizing Elijah (prophet)

Anna Pavlovna smiled sadly and noticed that Kutuzov, apart from troubles, had given nothing to the sovereign.
“I spoke and spoke in the Assembly of the Nobility,” interrupted Prince Vasily, “but they did not listen to me. I said that his election to the head of the militia would not please the sovereign. They didn't listen to me.
“It’s all some kind of mania to frond,” he continued. - And before whom? And all because we want to ape stupid Moscow delights, ”said Prince Vasily, confused for a moment and forgetting that Helen had to laugh at Moscow delights, while Anna Pavlovna had to admire them. But he immediately recovered. - Well, is it proper for Count Kutuzov, the oldest general in Russia, to sit in the chamber, et il en restera pour sa peine! [His troubles will be in vain!] Is it possible to appoint a man who cannot sit on horseback, falls asleep at the council, a man of the worst morals! He proved himself well in Bucarest! I'm not talking about his qualities as a general, but is it possible at such a moment to appoint a decrepit and blind person, just blind? The blind general will be good! He doesn't see anything. Play blind man's blind man... sees absolutely nothing!
Nobody objected to this.
On the 24th of July it was absolutely right. But on July 29, Kutuzov was granted the princely dignity. Princely dignity could also mean that they wanted to get rid of him - and therefore the judgment of Prince Vasily continued to be fair, although he was in no hurry to express it now. But on August 8, a committee was assembled from General Field Marshal Saltykov, Arakcheev, Vyazmitinov, Lopukhin and Kochubey to discuss the affairs of the war. The committee decided that the failures were due to differences of command, and, despite the fact that the persons who made up the committee knew the sovereign's dislike for Kutuzov, the committee, after a short meeting, proposed appointing Kutuzov as commander in chief. And on the same day, Kutuzov was appointed plenipotentiary commander of the armies and the entire region occupied by the troops.
On August 9, Prince Vasily met again at Anna Pavlovna's with l "homme de beaucoup de merite [a person of great dignity]. L" homme de beaucoup de merite courted Anna Pavlovna on the occasion of the desire to appoint Empress Maria Feodorovna as a trustee of the women's educational institution. Prince Vasily entered the room with the air of a happy winner, a man who had achieved the goal of his desires.
– Eh bien, vous savez la grande nouvelle? Le prince Koutouzoff est marechal. [Well s, you know the great news? Kutuzov - field marshal.] All disagreements are over. I'm so happy, so glad! - said Prince Vasily. – Enfin voila un homme, [Finally, this is a man.] – he said, significantly and sternly looking around at everyone in the living room. L "homme de beaucoup de merite, despite his desire to get a place, could not help but remind Prince Vasily of his previous judgment. (This was impolite both in front of Prince Vasily in Anna Pavlovna's drawing room, and in front of Anna Pavlovna, who was just as joyfully received the news; but he could not resist.)
- Mais on dit qu "il est aveugle, mon prince? [But they say he is blind?] - he said, reminding Prince Vasily of his own words.
- Allez donc, il y voit assez, [Eh, nonsense, he sees enough, believe me.] - said Prince Vasily in his bassy, ​​quick voice with a cough, that voice and cough with which he resolved all difficulties. “Allez, il y voit assez,” he repeated. “And what I am glad about,” he continued, “is that the sovereign has given him complete power over all the armies, over the entire region, power that no commander in chief has ever had. This is another autocrat,” he concluded with a victorious smile.
“God forbid, God forbid,” said Anna Pavlovna. L "homme de beaucoup de merite, still new to court society, wishing to flatter Anna Pavlovna, shielding her former opinion from this judgment, said.
- They say that the sovereign reluctantly transferred this power to Kutuzov. On dit qu "il rougit comme une demoiselle a laquelle on lirait Joconde, en lui disant: "Le souverain et la patrie vous decernent cet honneur." [They say that he blushed like a young lady who would have read Joconde, while told him: "The sovereign and the fatherland reward you with this honor."]
- Peut etre que la c?ur n "etait pas de la partie, [Maybe the heart did not quite participate,] - said Anna Pavlovna.
“Oh no, no,” Prince Vasily interceded fervently. Now he could not give in to Kutuzov to anyone. According to Prince Vasily, not only Kutuzov was good himself, but everyone adored him. “No, it cannot be, because the sovereign was so able to appreciate him before,” he said.
“God only grant that Prince Kutuzov,” said Anpa Pavlovna, “takes real power and does not allow anyone to put spokes in his wheels—des batons dans les roues.
Prince Vasily immediately realized who this nobody was. He whispered:
- I know for sure that Kutuzov, as an indispensable condition, said that the heir to the Tsarevich should not be with the army: Vous savez ce qu "il a dit a l" Empereur? [Do you know what he said to the sovereign?] - And Prince Vasily repeated the words, as if said by Kutuzov to the sovereign: “I cannot punish him if he does badly, and reward him if he does well.” O! this is smartest person, Prince Kutuzov, et quel caractere. Oh je le connais de longue date. [and what character. Oh, I've known him for a long time.]
“They even say,” said l “homme de beaucoup de merite, who still did not have court tact, “that the most illustrious a sine qua non ordered that the emperor himself did not come to the army.
As soon as he said this, in an instant Prince Vasily and Anna Pavlovna turned away from him and sadly, with a sigh at his naivety, looked at each other.

While this was happening in Petersburg, the French had already passed Smolensk and were moving closer and closer to Moscow. The historian of Napoleon Thiers, like other historians of Napoleon, says, trying to justify his hero, that Napoleon was unwittingly drawn to the walls of Moscow. He is right, as are all historians who seek an explanation of historical events in the will of one person; he is just as right as the Russian historians who assert that Napoleon was attracted to Moscow by the skill of the Russian generals. Here, in addition to the law of retrospectiveness (recurrence), which represents everything that has passed as a preparation for an accomplished fact, there is also reciprocity, which confuses the whole thing. A good player who loses at chess is sincerely convinced that his loss was due to his mistake, and he looks for this mistake at the beginning of his game, but forgets that in his every step, throughout the whole game, there were such mistakes that no one his move was not perfect. The error to which he draws attention is noticeable to him only because the enemy took advantage of it. How much more complicated than this is the game of war, taking place under certain conditions of time, and where not only the will directs lifeless machines, but where everything springs from the innumerable clash of different arbitrariness?
After Smolensk, Napoleon was looking for battles for Dorogobuzh at Vyazma, then at Tsarev Zaimishch; but it turned out that due to the innumerable clash of circumstances to Borodino, a hundred and twenty miles from Moscow, the Russians could not accept the battle. From Vyazma, an order was made by Napoleon to move directly to Moscow.
Moscou, la capitale asiatique de ce grand empire, la ville sacree des peuples d "Alexandre, Moscou avec ses innombrables eglises en forme de pagodes chinoises! [Moscow, Asian capital this great empire, the sacred city of the peoples of Alexander, Moscow with its countless churches, in the form of Chinese pagodas!] This Moscou haunted Napoleon's imagination. On the transition from Vyazma to Tsarev Zaimishch, Napoleon rode on horseback on his nightingal english pacer, accompanied by guards, guards, pages and adjutants. Chief of Staff Berthier lagged behind in order to interrogate a Russian prisoner taken by the cavalry. He galloped, accompanied by the translator Lelorgne d "Ideville, caught up with Napoleon and stopped the horse with a cheerful face.
– Eh bien? [Well?] said Napoleon.
- Un cosaque de Platow [Platov Cossack.] says that Platov's corps is connected with a large army, that Kutuzov has been appointed commander in chief. Tres intelligent et bavard! [Very smart and chatterbox!]
Napoleon smiled, ordered to give this Cossack a horse and bring him to him. He himself wanted to talk to him. Several adjutants galloped off, and an hour later the serf Denisov, who had been ceded to Rostov by him, Lavrushka, in a batman's jacket on a French cavalry saddle, with a roguish and drunken, cheerful face, rode up to Napoleon. Napoleon ordered him to ride beside him and began to ask:
- Are you a Cossack?
- Cossack, your honor.
"Le cosaque ignorant la compagnie dans laquelle il se trouvait, car la simplicite de Napoleon n" avait rien qui put reveler a une imagination orientale la presence d "un souverain, s" entretint avec la plus extreme familiarite des affaires de la guerre actuelle " , [The Cossack, not knowing the society in which he was, because the simplicity of Napoleon had nothing that could open the presence of the sovereign to the Eastern imagination, spoke with extreme familiarity about the circumstances of this war.] - says Thiers, telling this episode Indeed, Lavrushka, who got drunk and left the master without lunch, was flogged the day before and sent to the village for chickens, where he became interested in looting and was taken prisoner by the French. duty to do everything with meanness and cunning, who are ready to do any service to their master and who cunningly guess the master's bad thoughts, especially vanity and pettiness.
Once in the company of Napoleon, whose personality he recognized very well and easily. Lavrushka was not in the least embarrassed and only tried with all his heart to deserve the new masters.
He knew very well that it was Napoleon himself, and the presence of Napoleon could not embarrass him more than the presence of Rostov or the sergeant with rods, because he had nothing that neither the sergeant nor Napoleon could deprive him of.
He lied everything that was interpreted between the batmen. Much of this was true. But when Napoleon asked him what the Russians think, whether they will defeat Bonaparte or not, Lavrushka narrowed his eyes and thought.
He saw subtle cunning here, as people like Lavrushka always see cunning in everything, he frowned and was silent.
“It means: if you are in battle,” he said thoughtfully, “and in speed, that’s right.” Well, if three days pass after that same date, then, then, this very battle will go into delay.
Napoleon was translated as follows: “Si la bataille est donnee avant trois jours, les Francais la gagneraient, mais que si elle serait donnee plus tard, Dieu seul sait ce qui en arrivrait”, [“If the battle takes place before three days, then the French will win him, but if after three days, then God knows what will happen. ”] Lelorgne d "Ideville conveyed smiling. Napoleon did not smile, although he apparently was in the most cheerful mood, and ordered to repeat these words to himself.
Lavrushka noticed this and, to cheer him up, he said, pretending not to know who he was.
“We know that you have Bonaparte, he beat everyone in the world, well, another article about us ...” he said, not knowing himself how and why boastful patriotism slipped through his words in the end. The interpreter relayed these words to Napoleon without ending, and Bonaparte smiled. “Le jeune Cosaque fit sourire son puissant interlocuteur,” [The young Cossack made his powerful interlocutor smile.] says Thiers. After walking a few steps in silence, Napoleon turned to Berthier and said that he wanted to experience the effect that sur cet enfant du Don [on this child of the Don] would have the news that the person to whom this enfant du Don was speaking was the emperor himself. , the same emperor who wrote the immortally victorious name on the pyramids.
The message has been passed on.
Lavrushka (realizing that this was done to puzzle him, and that Napoleon thought he would be frightened), in order to please the new masters, immediately pretended to be astonished, stunned, bulged his eyes and made the same face that he was accustomed to when they led him flog. “A peine l" interprete de Napoleon, says Thiers, - avait il parle, que le Cosaque, saisi d "une sorte d" ebahissement, no profera plus une parole et marcha les yeux constamment attaches sur ce conquerant, dont le nom avait penetre jusqu "a lui, a travers les steppes de l" Orient. Toute sa loquacite s "etait subitement arretee, pour faire place a un sentiment d" admiration naive et silencieuse. Napoleon, apres l "avoir recompense, lui fit donner la liberte , comme a un oiseau qu"on rend aux champs qui l"ont vu naitre". [As soon as Napoleon's interpreter said this to the Cossack, the Cossack, seized by some kind of stupefaction, did not utter a single word more and continued to ride, not taking his eyes off the conqueror, whose name had reached him through the eastern steppes. All his talkativeness suddenly stopped and was replaced by a naive and silent feeling of delight. Napoleon, having rewarded the Cossack, ordered to give him freedom, like a bird that is returned to its native fields.]
Napoleon rode on, dreaming of that Moscou that so occupied his imagination, a l "oiseau qu" on rendit aux champs qui l "on vu naitre [a bird returned to its native fields] galloped to outposts, thinking ahead of everything that was not there and what he would tell his people. He did not want to tell the same thing that really happened to him, precisely because it seemed to him unworthy of a story. He went to the Cossacks, asked where the regiment that was in Platov’s detachment was, and by the evening found his master Nikolai Rostov, who was stationed in Yankovo ​​and had just mounted on horseback in order to take a walk with Ilyin through the surrounding villages.He gave another horse to Lavrushka and took him with him.

Princess Mary was not in Moscow and out of danger, as Prince Andrei thought.
After the return of Alpatych from Smolensk, the old prince, as it were, suddenly came to his senses from a dream. He ordered to gather militia from the villages, arm them and wrote a letter to the commander-in-chief, in which he informed him of his intention to remain in the Bald Mountains to the last extreme, to defend himself, leaving it at his discretion to take or not to take measures to protect the Bald Mountains, in which he would be taken one of the oldest Russian generals was captured or killed, and announced to his family that he was staying in Lysy Gory.
But, remaining himself in the Bald Mountains, the prince ordered the dispatch of the princess and Desal with the little prince to Bogucharovo and from there to Moscow. Princess Marya, frightened by her father's feverish, sleepless activity, which replaced his former omission, could not make up her mind to leave him alone, and for the first time in her life allowed herself to disobey him. She refused to go, and a terrible thunderstorm of the prince's anger fell upon her. He reminded her of everything in which he had been unfair to her. Trying to accuse her, he told her that she had tormented him, that she had quarreled with him, that she had nasty suspicions against him, that she had made it her life's task to poison his life, and drove her out of his office, telling her that if she he won't leave, he doesn't care. He said that he did not want to know about her existence, but he warned her in advance that she should not dare to catch his eye. The fact that, contrary to Princess Mary's fears, he did not order her to be taken away by force, but only did not order her to show herself, pleased Princess Mary. She knew that this proved that in the very secret of his soul he was glad that she stayed at home and did not leave.
The next day after Nikolushka's departure, the old prince put on his full uniform in the morning and got ready to go to the commander-in-chief. The wheelchair has already been served. Princess Marya saw how he, in uniform and all the orders, left the house and went into the garden to review the armed peasants and the yard. Princess Mary saw at the window, listening to his voice, which was heard from the garden. Suddenly, several people ran out of the alley with frightened faces.

Prophet Elijah. Biography

Prophet Elijah was born in Thesbia of Gilead in the tribe of Levi 900 years before the birth of Christ. According to a legend that has come down to us from St. Epiphanius of Cyprus (d. 403), when Elijah was born, his father had a mysterious vision: handsome men greeted the baby, swaddled him with fire and fed him with fiery flames. The name of the prophet Elijah is translated as " God my Lord”, which expresses the main content of his ministry (1 Kings 18:36) - a zealous struggle for the worship of the one God and His deeds showing His power.

The prophet Elijah was a zealous champion of the purity of faith in the kingdom of Israel and a formidable denouncer of idolatry and wickedness. His activity dates back to the reign of Ahab (d. 852 BC), when his Phoenician wife Jezebel decided to establish the cult of Baal and Astarte. Tradition says that the true zealots of piety were expelled from the country, and a staff of priests of Baal was established at the court. The prophet Elijah, who performed many miracles in order to reason with the wicked king, was a formidable accuser for trampling on the shrine. The history of his life and activity is set forth in the Third and Fourth Books of Kings (1 Kings 17-20 and 2 Kings 1-3).

When Ahab's wickedness reached its limit, the prophet Elijah announced to the king that for his wickedness the country would suffer famine for several years (1 Kings 17:1). But Ahab did not repent, a struggle began between the king and the prophet, ending in the triumph of the latter. During the sacrifice on Mount Carmel (Carmel), arranged to test and compare the power of Yahweh and Baal, the priests of the latter suffered a complete defeat and were executed by the prophet (1 Kings 18:40). This further angered Jezebel, who vowed to kill Elijah. At the direction of God, the prophet Elijah hid at the stream Khorath, where the ravens brought him food every morning and evening.

The people at that time suffered from unbearable heat and hunger. The Old Testament tradition tells that the Lord, in His mercy, seeing the suffering of people, was ready to spare everyone and send rain on the earth, but did not want to violate the words of the prophet Elijah. It was important for the prophet to turn the hearts of the Israelites to repentance and return them to true worship of God. After some time, the prophet Elijah, according to the word of God, went to Sarepta Sidon to a poor widow. For the fact that she did not spare the last handful of flour and oil, according to the prayer of the prophet Elijah, flour and oil have not been depleted in the widow's house since then. Here, the prophet Elijah performed another miracle: he revived the widow's son, who had suddenly fallen ill and died, compassionately for the woman's grief.

In the third year of the drought, the prophet Elijah returned to Ahab. Elijah offered to have a contest with the priests of Baal to find out whose god is the true one. Having gathered the people on Mount Carmel, the prophet Elijah proposed to build two altars: one - from the priests of Baal, the other - from the prophet Elijah to serve the True God. “On which of them the fire from heaven will fall, that will be an indication whose God is true,” said the prophet Elijah, “and everyone will have to bow to Him, and those who do not recognize Him will be put to death.” The priests of Baal danced, prayed, and stabbed themselves with knives all day, but nothing happened. By evening, the prophet Elijah erected his altar of 12 stones, according to the number of the tribes of Israel, laid the sacrifice on firewood, ordered that a ditch be dug around the altar and ordered water to be poured on the sacrifice and firewood. When the ditch filled with water, the fiery prophet turned to God with a fervent prayer and petition that the Lord would send down fire from heaven to admonish the erring and hardened Israeli people and turn their hearts to Himself. Fire fell from heaven and kindled the sacrifice of the prophet Elijah. The people exclaimed: “Truly, the Lord is One God, and there is no other God besides Him!”. Then, at the command of the prophet Elijah, the priests were killed. Through the prayer of the prophet Elijah, the Lord sent abundant rain on the earth, the drought ended. However, despite the miracles and great signs that happened through the prayer of the prophet, Jezebel wanted to kill him because he put to death the priests of Baal. Elijah hid in the desert.

At this time, the prophet was rewarded, as far as it is possible for a person, to contemplate face to face with God. The Lord consoled him, saying that there were still people on earth who had never worshiped idols, and pointed Elijah to Elisha, whom He chose as a prophet after Elijah.

According to legend, the prophet Elijah was taken to Heaven alive: “Suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared, and separated them both, and Elijah rushed into Heaven in a whirlwind” (2 Kings 2:11). According to the Bible, only Enoch, who lived before the Flood, was taken to heaven alive before him (Gen. 5:24). In the book of Wisdom of Jesus, the son of Sirach, the event of Elijah's ascension is described as follows: "Elijah was hidden by a whirlwind, and Elisha was filled with his spirit" (Sirach 48:12). According to the Fourth Book of Kings, Elijah left his outer garment (“mantle”) to the prophet Elisha, dropping it to him already from the fiery chariot (2 Kings 2:11-13).

The Book of Malachi says that God will send the prophet Elijah back to earth: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord” (Mal. 4:5). This is about the Second Coming. Before the Second Coming, the prophet Elijah will descend from heaven to convict the false Messiah and convert the remnant of Israel to the true God.

The prophet Elijah is mentioned several times in the New Testament. So, the episode is described, how the elders and the people asked John the Forerunner when he preached on the banks of the Jordan in the spirit and strength of Elijah and even looked like him in appearance, is he Elijah? Also, the disciples of Jesus Christ, according to the Gospel of Matthew, asked Him if Elijah should not come before the Messiah. To which Christ replied: “True, Elijah must come first and arrange everything; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him as they wished; so the Son of Man will suffer by them” (Matt. 17:11-12). Then the disciples understood that Jesus was talking about John the Baptist, who was beheaded (Mark 6:28).

At the time, the prophet Elijah appeared with Moses, and they talked with Jesus "about His departure, which He was to make in Jerusalem" (Luke 9:31). According to John Chrysostom, "one who died and another who had not yet experienced death" appeared in order to show that "Christ has power over life and death, rules over heaven and earth." It is assumed that he is one of the two candlesticks standing before God, and must appear before the Second Coming of Christ to earth (Rev. 11:3-12). During the suffering of Christ on the cross, some of the people thought that Christ was calling the prophet Elijah for help, and they were waiting for his coming.

Miracles of the Holy Prophet Elijah

Through the prayer of the prophet Elijah, the sky “closed up” and did not give rain (1 Kings 17:1), which caused a famine. According to the word of God, ravens (1 Kings 17:6) and an angel (1 Kings 19:5-6) brought him food. According to the word of the prophet, the food in the house of the Sarepta widow did not end (1 Kings 17:13-16). The prophet Elijah resurrected the youth of the Sarepta widow (1 Kings 17:21-22). The prophet Elijah brought down fire on the altar (1 Kings 18:36-38). Through the prayer of the prophet, God gave rain to the earth after a three-year "conclusion" of heaven (1 Kings 18:41-45). The prophet Elijah spoke with God face to face, while covering his face (1 Kings 19:9-14). The prophet Elijah brought down fire from heaven, both for the punishment of sinners and for a sign of true worship of God (2 Kings 1:10-12). The prophet Elijah divided the Jordan River like Moses, hitting it with his clothes (2 Kings 2:8). The prophet Elijah was taken up alive into heaven for his special righteousness before God (2 Kings 2:11).

Veneration of the prophet Elijah in Russia

The prophet Elijah was one of the first saints of God, who began to be revered in Russia. In his name, even under Prince Askold, at the beginning of the 9th century, a cathedral church was erected in Kyiv. And holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga built a church in the name of the prophet God's Elijah in the north of Russia, in the village of Vybuty. The Holy Prophet Elijah has always been perceived by the Orthodox Russian people as one of the closest saints to our fatherland. In the "Ilyinsky" churches, religious processions were and are being made, especially in a drought. Ilyin's day was considered the boundary of the seasons, while among the southern Slavs (for example, in Macedonia) this day was called the middle of summer, and in Russia - the turn to winter. After Ilyin's day, rain was expected, and it was forbidden to swim (so as not to drown or get sick). On this day, one could begin to enjoy the fruits of the new harvest. The holiday was associated in the views of the Slavs with the theme of marriage and the symbolism of fertility: they prayed for a rich harvest, and the girls for getting married.

The day of memory of the prophet Elijah takes place on August 2 (July 20, old style). In Christianity, he is the most revered Old Testament saint. From his birthplace in the city of Thesbah, the prophet Elijah is called Elijah the Tezvitian.

Troparion and kontakion to the holy prophet Elijah

Troparion, tone 4

P lotskji and GnGl, and 3rd degree prophetic. the second half of the advent of xrt0va, and the glorious ones. more than send є3lisewvi to be grateful, drive away ailments, and 3 clean lepers. the same read є3go2 t0chit tselba2.

A carnal angel, and a prophet of a degree, the second and forerunner of the coming of Christ, glorious Elijah, sending Elisha grace from above, chasing away ailments, and cleansing lepers, sharpens healing with the same honoring him.

Kontakion, tone 2

Pbrche and 3 foreseeing the great deeds of our bga, and 3lіE the great name, and even broadcasting your 1m ўavyvyi vod0chnyz џblaks, moly 2 њ us є3d1nago chlklyubtsa.

Prophet and seer of the great deeds of our God, great-name Elijah, even with your broadcasting water-flowing clouds, pray for us the One Lover of Man.

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Holy prophet Elijah. Icons

Images of the prophet Elijah were as widespread as the images of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Great Martyrs George the Victorious and Demetrius of Thessalonica. In the iconography of the prophet Elijah, symbolic elements are combined, reflecting his significance as an accomplice of the most important events in the history of the divine economy. The words Saint John Chrysostom contain a vivid figurative description of the prophet:

Imagine ... Elijah, a prophet, an earthly angel and a heavenly man, who walked the earth and controlled the heavenly chariot, who was three cubits tall and reached great heights, ascended to the very vaults of heaven, the lord of the waters, whose tongue was the storehouse of the waters and the key of heaven (John Chrysostom, St. Word about the Apostle Peter and the Prophet Elijah // Creations, 2004, vol. 2, book 2, p. 776).

In Christian art, not only individual images of the prophet Elijah were widespread, but separate scenes from his Life. When venerated, Elijah was endowed with various functions. For the monks, his life was a model of ascetic deeds. In the imperial environment, he was honored as the patron of military prowess. Emperor Basil I the Macedonian annually attended a service in the New Church of the Grand Imperial Palace on Elijah's memorial day, where Elijah's mantle and belt were kept. In popular perception, Elijah was the patron of the elements. The role of the seer prophet in divine economy, the eschatological expectations of Elijah as a herald of the Second Coming, as well as various aspects of his veneration became the reasons for the diversity of iconography.

The images of the prophet Elijah are known in the Jewish synagogue in Dura-Europos (249-250). In the scene with the king, judging by the leg fragments, the prophet was presented frontally. A fragmentary image of legs has been preserved near the strip of land, possibly the remains of the figure of the commander Obadiah, who led Elijah to Ahab. In the scene of the resurrection of the son of the Sarepta widow, Elijah lies on a bed, in his arms is a baby, which he stretches to the hand of the Lord, depicted above, on the left - a preliminary action - a widow in black robes gives Elijah the body of a dead son, on the right - a widow in light festive clothes holds in the arms of a merry baby.

The earliest image of the prophet Elijah is represented in the iconography "The Ascension of the Prophet Elijah, or the Fiery Ascent" and is located in the Sant'Aquilino Chapel of the Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore in Milan (c. 370 N.). In the apse of the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe in Ravenna (c. 549) in the scene "The Transfiguration of the Lord" (the figure of Christ is replaced by a cross with His face in the middle of the cross, the apostles Peter, John and James are presented in the form of lambs, the cross in the pose of an orant is to Bishop Apollinaris, on the sides of which are 12 apostles in the form of lambs), half-figures of the prophets Elijah (on the right) and Moses (on the left) are represented in clouds. Elijah - an old man with long, gray hair, separated in the middle by a straight parting and falling on the back, a long gray beard is pointed downwards.

The earliest known icon image of Elijah was made using the technique of wax painting (encaustic) in the 7th century and is located in the monastery of the Great Martyr Catherine in Sinai. The icon was the right wing of a triptych that has not been preserved. Elijah is depicted as gray-haired, his clothes are worked out by an assist. The right hand is in a prophetic gesture, in the lowered left hand is an unrolled scroll.

In Byzantine art, rare examples of individual images of Elijah have been preserved. One of the earliest is a large icon (1180-1200, Byzantine Museum, Kastoria) with a generational frontal image of Elijah on a blue background, dressed in an ocher tunic with a blue belt and a mantle, with an unrolled scroll in his left hand. On a medallion on a fold with images of Our Lady Oranta and Jesus Christ (late 10th - early 11th century, National Library of St. Mark, Venice), Elijah is represented with a scroll in his hand among the prophets, apostles and saints.

The iconographic programs of the temples of the Middle Byzantine period often include individual plots of the Life of Elijah. The earliest examples include the frescoes of the cave church of Ayvalıkilise (Cappadocia; between 913 and 920), where on the slopes of a small arch framing the niche with the scene “The Sacrifice of Abraham”, the “Sacrifice on Mount Carmel” and “The Ascension of the Prophet Elijah” are presented. .

The special veneration of the prophet Elijah at Sinai, not far from which, on Mount Horeb, he was able to see God, led to the wide distribution of his images as part of various icons originating from the monastery of the Great Martyr Catherine or created for him.

The most widespread in monumental art and icon painting were the plots “The Prophet Elijah in the Desert” and “The Fiery Ascent of the Prophet Elijah”.

Detailed hagiographic narratives in monumental painting have been known since the 13th century. One of the earliest surviving cycles is located on the northern wall of the southeastern compartment of the temple in Akhtala (1205-1216) and includes 3 scenes: “The Sacrifice on Mount Carmel”, “The Prophet Elijah in the Desert”, “The Ascension of the Prophet Elijah”.

The first christian temple, erected in Kyiv, was consecrated in the name of the prophet Elijah. Together with the traditional corpus of the Lives of Elijah and the Eulogy, a cycle of apocryphal works appeared early in Russia. So, in Russian indexes, starting from the Izbornik of Prince Svyatoslav in 1073, there is an indication of the apocryphal “Ilyino addition” (Agapius’ journey to paradise), where the guide of the elder Agapius garden of paradise was Elijah. In the "Word and Vision of the Apostle Paul" ("Walking of the Apostle Paul through the Torments"), we are talking about the meeting in paradise of the Apostle Paul with Elijah and Elisha. These works, despite being included in the category of forbidden books, were in demand at different times and became the source of new iconography of the prophet Elijah.

In Kievan Rus, the veneration of the prophet Elijah acquired special features. The comparison of Elijah with the Archangel Michael, which early appeared in various iconographic versions, is typical for ancient Russian culture and unusual for Byzantium. One of the reasons for the combination of the images of Elijah and the Archangel Michael was the fact that both have power over the fiery and water elements, and are also revered as intercessors for the human race at the Last Judgment. An early example of images of Elijah has been preserved in the Kondakar of the Typographic Charter (end of the 11th - beginning of the 12th century, Tretyakov Gallery).

The earliest image in ancient Russian monumental art is known in the painting of St. Sophia of Kyiv, where the gray-haired Elijah is depicted full-length, with a folded scroll in his hand in the lower zone on the southwestern dome pillar.

The versatility of the iconography of The Prophet Elijah in the Wilderness, containing the Eucharistic theme and expressing the ideal of monastic life, was complemented in Russian art by motifs of obedience to God's will, deep prayer and, at the same time, bold and zealous communion with God. A few monuments of the XV century depict Elijah sitting on a stone half-turned to the right, with his left hand he props up his head, in his right - a scroll.

Obviously, even in pre-Mongolian Rus parallels were traced between Elijah, in a pillar of fire taken to heaven, and the image of the Mother of God " Burning bush”, which are united by the theme of divine fire, transforming, but not scorching.

In the 16th century, the iconography of the "Fiery Ascent" began to be saturated with the image of previous events from the Life of Elijah. On the Novgorod icon of the second quarter of the 16th century. there are two plots: "An angel prompts Elijah" and "Crossing the Jordan on dry land." As a result, iconography, which combines several compositions without distributing them according to hallmarks, has become widespread and has taken shape in a special kind of hagiographic icons. This phenomenon is inherent only in the iconography of Elijah. These "complex" compositions have not received a special name and are named, as a rule, according to the plot highlighted by the scale.

In Russian art, the earliest iconic hagiographic cycle of the prophet Elijah has been preserved - the image of “Prophet Elijah in the desert, with life” from the churchyard of Vybuty near Pskov (beginning of the 13th century, Tretyakov Gallery). The centerpiece depicts Elijah in the desert, in apostolic robes - a tunic and a himation, without a raven.

The development of hagiographic iconography continued actively in the 16th century. Special attention to the image of Elijah was explained by the spread of his veneration. There are numerous "ordinary" churches in the name of the prophet Elijah.

Small-sized hagiographic icons of Elijah were intended for an lectern or for home prayer. Some of them had an individual selection of hallmarks, including rare subjects. For the Yaroslavl church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Semyon Spiridonov Kholmogorets painted the icon “Prophet Elijah, with a life in 26 hallmarks” (1678, YaKhM). Elijah is depicted full-length, with a scroll in his hand, in prayer to the Lord, in the heavenly segment on the left, with a sphere in his hands, sitting on cherubs. The composition of the centerpiece is enclosed in an arch against the background of exquisite herbs. The architecture and landscape in the hallmarks are unusually complex and varied.

Temples of Elijah the Prophet in Russia

Consecrated in the name of the holy prophet Elijah church on the churchyard of Vybuty, Pskov region. The stone Ilinskaya Church was built of slabs in the 15th century. Presumably, there was more than ancient temple, because in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow there is an icon of the holy prophet Elijah from the church in Vybuty, dated to the 13th century. The church stands on the banks of the Velikaya River. The belfry is stone, in connection with the vestibule of the church. There are two thrones in the church: the main one - in the name of the holy prophet of God Elijah, the side - in the name of St. Nicholas. There is a cemetery near the church. The church was closed during the Soviet era. On December 15, 1927, the Financial Department of the Pskov District Executive Committee sent a letter marked “Not subject to disclosure” to the District Department of Public Education (OKRONO), in which it announced its intention to “sell Gospromtsvetmet 14 pieces of various sizes of bells from the closed Vybutskaya Church.” In response, OKRONO said that "the sale of bells of non-museum value can be made only by Glavnauka". During the Great Patriotic War, the church was damaged. In 1955-1957, it was restored according to the project of V.P. Smirnova. In 1999 services were resumed in the church.

temple near the village of Konechek(former churchyard Krivovichi) of the Pskov region. When and by whom the church was built - there is no information. In 1877, on the right side of the main temple, a chapel was built in the name of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity. The church is surrounded by a cemetery surrounded by a stone fence. Elias Church of the former churchyard Krivovichi was badly damaged during the military operations to liberate Pskov in 1944. Its ruins are located near the village of Konechek, Pskov region.

In the name of the prophet Elijah was consecrated Temple in Teply Ryady in Moscow. The stone temple was built as a cathedral founded no later than the 15th century next to the Moscow Trade Square of the Ilyinsky Monastery. From the name of this temple, Ilyinka Street was named, the auction became known as the Ilyinsky sacrum. The construction of the temple was carried out from 1519 to 1521, “and set from ordinary people someone named Klim, and nicknamed Muzhilo. The church burned in 1547 and was damaged in a fire in 1626. The uprising of the townspeople on May 27, 1606 in Moscow against False Dmitry I began after the sound of the alarm on the bell tower of the monastery church of Elijah the Prophet, made by order of Shuisky. During the Time of Troubles, the monastery was abolished, the temple became a parish, and in 1676, together with the church land, it was transferred to the Novgorod Bishop's House and built on the upper church, where the throne was transferred in honor of the prophet Elijah. The ancient lower temple was consecrated in the name of the Apostle Timothy. The temple was closed in 1923, then the upper tier of the bell tower was dismantled. From 1930 to 1980, various institutions were located in the temple building. The building is an object of cultural heritage of federal significance. Since 1995, divine services have been resumed in the temple.

Consecrated in honor of the prophet Elijah temple in the village Prussians of the Kolomna district of the Moscow region. The Prussian village was owned by the Sheremetev boyars. In the middle of the 16th century it was acquired by the Bishop of Kolomna. At the same time, the hipped-roof Elijah's Church was built. It is mentioned as a stone one in cadastral books of 1578. The building was partially remodeled in the 1660s. In the first half of the 19th century, a brick refectory and a wooden bell tower “on pillars” (now lost) were added to the west.

Also consecrated in the name of the prophet Elijah church on the churchyard of Vyya, Arkhangelsk region which was built in 1600.

Elias Church existed in the village of Chasovenskaya (Zadnyaya Dubrova) in the Arkhangelsk region. Built and consecrated around 1622. In 1879, it was dismantled, and a new temple was built on a stone foundation. In 1884, the bell tower was dismantled to the ground and rebuilt on a stone foundation. In the Soviet years, the altar was sawn off and the tent collapsed. It is in emergency condition.

Old Believer and Edinoverie churches in the name of the prophet Elijah

In honor of the prophet Elijah, it was consecrated in the Voskresensky district of the Moscow region. A wooden one-domed church with a hipped bell tower, built in 1907–1909 by reconstructing the old wooden prayer house on the first floor. XIX century, was closed in 1937 and later broken. In 2005, a community of believers was re-established; in 2007–2008, a new wooden one-domed church was built.

Ilyinsky churches of the Russian Orthodox Church also exist in (Belarus), in the village of Plaskinino, Ramensky district, Moscow region. There is a temple in the name of the holy prophet Elijah Fezvityanin in the Tbilisi diocese of the Georgian Old Orthodox Church.

In Minsk (Belarus) exists, founded in 2002.

Holy prophet Elijah. Paintings

The holy prophet Elijah was depicted on their canvases by famous artists such as Gillis van Koningslo, Peter Paul Rubens, Paul Gustave Dore, Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld, A.M. Volkov, P. Pleshanov, P.I. Neradovsky and others.

Folk traditions on Ilyin's day

On a fiery chariot, a mighty gray-haired old man with formidable eyes rides from end to end across the boundless heavenly fields, and his punishing hand pours fiery stone arrows from the height above the stars, striking the frightened hosts of demons and the sons of men who have transgressed the law of God. Wherever this formidable old man appears, he everywhere carries with him fire, horror, death and destruction. Neither the cries nor the groans of the stricken will soften his unbending heart, and the gaze of his formidable eyes will not stop at the spectacles of earthly misfortunes. Having done the justice of heaven, he, like a stormy whirlwind, rushes farther and farther on his sparkling chariot, and gray curls only scatter over his mighty shoulders, and a white, silvery beard flutters in the wind. Such, according to the views of the people, is the prophet Elijah, personifying the righteous wrath of God. Everywhere in Russia he was called "terrible", and everywhere the day dedicated to his memory was considered one of the most dangerous. In many places, the peasants even fasted throughout the Elijah week in order to prevent the wrath of the prophet and save their fields, villages and cattle from his arrows. The peasants called the very day of the holiday "angry" and spent it in utter idleness, since even empty work was considered a great sin. If on that day clouds appeared in the sky, the people followed them with fear with their eyes; if it came to a thunderstorm, then this fear turned into panic fear: the entire population hid in houses, shut the doors tightly, curtained the windows and, lighting Thursday candles in front of the icon, begged the prophet to lay down his anger on mercy. In some regions, for example, in Nikolsk, Vologda province, peasants fumigated their house with incense from the evening, and all bright objects, like a samovar, a mirror, and the like, were either covered with linen, or even taken out of the hut, on the grounds that, as if the prophet Elijah considers such items to be reprehensible luxury, indecent in peasant life. In the Vyatka province, the prophet Elijah was propitiated with gifts: the peasants on this day brought a leg of a ram to the church “under the sacred”, bee honey, beer, ears of fresh rye and green peas. But on the question of which of these items Ilya liked most, there was a disagreement. Some stood for bee honey, others argued the advantage of lamb.

The most reliable way to prevent the wrath of Elijah was considered to be public prayers performed in the field. In many villages, such prayers were performed annually. Attributing to the prophet Elijah the power to produce thunder and lightning and direct the clouds at their own discretion, i.e., putting into his hands the most terrible and at the same time the most beneficent forces of nature, our people firmly believed that the fertility of the earth is the work of the prophet, and that without his will maybe a harvest. Therefore, the people imagined Ilya not only as a messenger of heavenly wrath, but also as a benefactor of the human race, giving the earth an abundance of fruits and driving away evil spirits. By popular belief, for evil spirits, not only Elijah himself is terrible, but even the rain that poured on his day has great power: they washed themselves with the Elijah rain from enemy slander, from attacks and spells. Elijah himself inspired panic, boundless horror on the demons: as soon as the roar of his chariot was heard in the sky, the devils fled in droves to the borders, hid behind people's backs or hid under hats. poisonous mushrooms, popularly known under the name "yaruiki".

There are many legends and traditions about the prophet Elijah. In almost every village you can hear a story about some exceptional manifestation of the wrath or mercy of the prophet, about some miracle or heavenly sign: in almost every volost, in every county and province, one could come across new versions of old legends or come across a completely original legend. local origin. Here, for example, is what the peasants of the Oryol district and province told about the earthly life of the prophet Elijah: “Until the age of 33, the prophet Elijah sat in his seat and could not walk. His parents were poor people and uprooted stumps, feeding their crippled son with this work. Once the Lord was walking along the earth with Saint Nicholas and, seeing Elijah, he said: “Come, give us a drink.” “I would be glad to give, but I can’t go,” Elijah answered. The Lord took him by the hand, and he rose from the ground himself. Then the Lord scooped up a full bucket of water from the well and ordered Ilya to drink, then he scooped up another one and half a third and asked him: “Well, how are you now?” “I can turn the whole world in a different way,” answered Elijah, “if there was a pillar in the middle of heaven and earth, then I would destroy the whole earth.” Hearing these words, God was frightened and hurried to reduce Elijah's strength by half and, moreover, ordered him to sit underground for 6 weeks. But then, when Elijah, after sitting under the ground, again came into the light (together with the prophet Onufry), the first thing he saw was the tomb. Elijah entered this tomb, and immediately a fiery chariot with angels descended from heaven, who rushed Elijah to heaven, presenting him before the face of the Lord. “You, Elijah,” said the Lord, “own this chariot until I come to earth, and let thunder and lightning be in your hands from now on.” According to popular belief, on this chariot, before the end of the world, Elijah will descend to earth and travel three times from one end of the earth to the other, warning everyone about the Last Judgment. This Oryol tradition already varies in some places, and the peasants say that the Lord laid a stone of 40 acres on Elijah's head to reduce his strength. This stone is still intact and stands in heaven before the throne of God.

Considering the prophet Elijah the ruler of the winds and rain clouds, the peasants associate many calendar signs with the day of this saint. “Before Elijah,” they say, “the clouds walk with the wind, and from Elijah they begin to walk against the wind.” “Before Elijah, the priest will not beg for rain, - after Elijah, the woman will catch up with an apron.” “After Ilyin’s day,” the Vologda residents say, “you won’t see a horse in the Siwa field - that’s how dark the nights are.” “From Ilyin’s day, the night is long: the worker wakes up, and the horses are full.” "From Ilyin's day, the water freezes." In the Poshekhonsky district of the Yaroslavl province, the reason for the cooling of river waters after Ilyin's day was explained as follows: "The Prophet Elijah rides horses across the sky, and from fast running one of the horses loses a horseshoe, which falls into the water, and the water immediately gets colder."

Agricultural signs are also associated with the day of Elijah: “If it is cloudy in the morning on this day, then sowing should be early and a plentiful harvest can be expected; if it is cloudy at noon, sowing is medium, and if in the evening, sowing is late and the harvest is poor.

The Day of Elijah the Prophet is a holiday of believers, which is usually celebrated on August 2. The saint is considered a kind of mediator between God and people. In ancient times, people respected and feared Ilya, because he could punish by sending lightning. Many different signs, traditions and are associated with this holiday. Believers also read prayers to St. Elijah the Prophet, which help to resolve various situations favorably. It is best to have an icon of a saint in your home, which can be purchased at a church shop.

What do they pray to Elijah the Prophet?

This saint is considered a heavenly patron who has the power to control rain, lightning and thunder. Downpours he could punish bad people destroying crops on their lands. At all times, the peasants turned to the Prophet to bless them for cultivating the land. If there were fears about the wealth of the harvest, then they asked Ilya to send rain. On August 2, young and single girls turned to Elijah the Prophet to find their soul mate, get married successfully and be happy. In general, it is believed that you can turn to a saint with any question, such as problems with money or health. Many believers claim that prayer appeals to the Prophet more than once helped them avoid sudden death.

There are various prayers before the icon of Elijah the Prophet, which can be read both in the temple and at home. If the believer chooses the first option, then, it is worth considering some rules. Go to the temple with an open heart and good intentions. Be sure to give to people in need before entering. Entering the temple, cross yourself and bow. After that, go to the icon of Elijah the Prophet and light a candle in front of the image. Get rid of extraneous thoughts and concentrate on your request. If you pray at home, then put an icon in front of you and light a candle next to it. Again, concentrate on your request and read the prayer, and it sounds like this:

“Oh, the holy prophet of God Elijah, pray for us the Lover of God, may he give us, the servants of God (names), the spirit of repentance and contrition for our sins, and with His all-powerful grace, may He help us leave the path of wickedness, and prosper in every good deed, and in the struggle against our passions and lusts, let him strengthen us; may the spirit of humility and meekness, the spirit of brotherly love and gentleness, the spirit of patience and chastity, the spirit of zeal for the glory of God and for the salvation of one's own and those of one's neighbor, be kindly taken care of.

Turn away the righteous wrath of God from us with your intercession, and live in peace and piety in this world, let us be vouchsafed the partaking of eternal blessings in the Kingdom of the Lord and Savior of our Jesus Christ, honor and worship befits Him, with His Beginning Father and the Most Holy Spirit, forever centuries. Amen".

If the weather has been sunny for a long time and the harvest is suffering, then you can turn to the saint for help, for which read the prayer to Elijah the Prophet for rain:

“O great and glorious prophet of God, Elijah, for the sake of your zeal, according to the glory of the Lord God Almighty, did not endure the sight of idolatry and wickedness of the sons of Israel, denouncing the lawless king Ahab and, as a punishment for those three-year gladness to the land of Israel, asking your prayer from the Lord, yes, rejecting vile idols and departed from unrighteousness and iniquity, they will turn to the One True God and the fulfillment of His holy commandments, miraculously nourishing the widow of Sarepta in gladness and resurrecting her son by dying with your prayer, after the proclaimed time of gladness, the people of Israel gathered on Mount Carmel in apostasy and wickedness reproached , the same fire with a prayer for your sacrifice from heaven, and by a miracle by this Israel turned to the Lord, the student prophets of Baal were put to shame and slain, by the same prayer the sky cleared the sky and plentiful rain on the earth asked and the people of Israel rejoiced!

We diligently resort to you, sinful and humble, tormented by lack of rain and heat: we confess that we are not worthy of the mercy and blessings of God, worthy more than the fierce rebukes of His wrath, mourn and need and all kinds of evils and diseases.

We did not walk in the fear of God and in the ways of His commandments, but in the lusts of our corrupted hearts, and every kind of sin was done without number; our iniquities have surpassed our head, and we are not worthy to appear before the face of God and look into heaven.

We confess, as we, like ancient Israel, have departed from the Lord our God, if not by faith, then by our iniquities, and if we do not worship Baal and other vile idols, then we are servile with our passion and lust, serving the idol of gluttony and voluptuousness, the idol of covetousness and ambition, the idol of pride and vanity, and we follow the ungodly foreign custom and the pernicious spirit of the times.

We confess that for the sake of this the sky was closed and created like copper, as if our heart was closed from mercy and true love for our neighbor; for this reason, the earth was hardened and became barren, as we do not bring to our Lord the fruits of good deeds; for this sake, there is no rain and dew, as if not the imams of tears of tenderness and the life-giving dew of Divine Thought; for this sake, every cereal and grass of the countryside withered, as if every good feeling had gone out in us; for this reason, the air is darkened, as if our mind was darkened by cold thoughts and our heart was defiled by lawless lusts.

We confess, as if you, a prophet of God, ask us unworthy of Esma.

You, having been a man of obsequiousness to us, became like an angel in your life, and, as if incorporeal, you were taken up to heaven, but we became like our dumb thoughts and deeds with our dumb cattle, and our soul was made like flesh. You surprised the angels and people with fasting and vigil, but we, indulging in intemperance and voluptuousness, are likened to senseless cattle.

Thou didst burn with zealous zeal for the glory of God, but we neglect the glory of our Creator and Lord and are ashamed to confess His venerable Name.

You uprooted ungodliness and evil customs, but we are slaves to the spirit of this age, supplying the ungodly customs of the world more than the commandments of God and the statutes of the Holy Church.

And what sin and unrighteousness will we not do, repentance?

We exhaust the longsuffering of God by our iniquities.

The same righteous Lord was angry with us and in His anger punished us. Both leading your great boldness before the Lord and hoping for your love for the human race, we dare to pray to you, most commendable prophet: be merciful to us, unworthy and indecent.

Pray for the Greatly Gifted and All-Generous God, may he not be completely angry with us and destroy us with our iniquities, but may the abundant and peaceful rain fall on the thirsty and withered earth, and grant it fruitfulness and good air. Bow with your effective intercession to the mercy of the King of Heaven, if not for the sake of us, sinful and filthy, but for the sake of His chosen servants, who did not bow their knees before the Baal of this world, for the sake of mild and senseless babies, for the sake of dumb cattle and birds of heaven, suffering for our iniquity and melting away from hunger, heat and thirst.

Ask us with your favorable prayers from the Lord for the spirit of repentance and tenderness of the heart, the spirit of meekness and abstinence, the spirit of love and patience, the spirit of God's fear and piety, and so, having returned from the paths of wickedness to the right path of virtue, we walk in the light of God's commandments and achieve the promises to us good, by the good pleasure of God the Father without beginning, by the love of mankind of His Only Begotten Son, and by the grace of the All-Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen".

Prayer to Elijah the Prophet for money

If there are financial problems, then you can turn to the saint to help correct this situation. To perform the ritual, take a coin of 5 kopecks and throw it on the floor, and then say these words:

“Ilya is generous, be generous,

Give prosperity and wealth for my kind,

I have a penny unchangeable,

Let that nickel give me more than one dozen,

Your dozens will give me money wealth.

Poverty and failure Perun the Thunderer dragged away,

And Ilya the Prophet brought Prosperity and Good Luck to my family.

Amen".

After that, pick up the coin and store it in your home, putting it on any bill. The result is a talisman that will attract material wealth.

Signs and traditions on the day of Elijah

On this holiday, it is forbidden to work, because it will not only not bring results, but can also anger the saint, who will send a downpour and destroy the crop. It is impossible to drive cattle out to pasture, since various evil spirits can move into it. If there is a thunderstorm on August 2, in no case should you swim at this time, stand under the trees, shout and have fun. To protect their home from the wrath of Elijah, people the day before, they fumigated the house with incense, and during a thunderstorm, they closed windows and doors, and lit a candle near the images. It is believed that summer ends on August 2 and autumn begins, so the weather changes, the behavior of birds and people prepare for the harvest. During bad weather, be sure to collect rain water, since there is an opinion that it has tremendous power that protects against. If a person got caught in the rain on the day of Elijah, it means that throughout the year he will not be affected by illness and problems. One of the most important prohibitions of this day is not to swim in open water. It is believed that the water is already cold, and mermaids can drag to the bottom.

The holy prophet Elijah - one of the greatest prophets and the first virgin of the Old Testament - was born in Thesvia of Gilead in the tribe of Levi 900 years before the Incarnation of God the Word.

Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus reports the following legend about the birth of the prophet Elijah: "When Elijah was born, his father Sovakh saw in a vision that handsome men greeted him, swaddled him with fire and fed him with fiery flames." The name Elijah (the fortress of the Lord) given to the baby determined his whole life. From an early age, he dedicated himself to the One God, settled in the desert and spent his life in strict fasting, contemplation and prayer. Called to prophetic ministry Israeli king Ahab, the prophet became an ardent zealot of the true faith and piety. At that time, the people of Israel fell away from the faith of their fathers, left the One God and worshiped pagan idols, the veneration of which was introduced by the wicked king Jeroboam. King Ahab's wife, the pagan Jezebel, was especially supportive of idolatry. The worship of the idol Baal led the Israelites to complete moral decay. Seeing the death of his people, the prophet Elijah began to convict King Ahab of impiety, urging him to repent and turn to the True God. The king did not listen to him. Then the prophet Elijah announced to him that, as a punishment for three years, there would be neither rain nor dew on the earth, and the drought would stop only through his prayer. And indeed, through the prayer of the prophet, the sky closed, drought and famine set in all over the earth. The people suffered from unbearable heat and hunger. The Lord, in His mercy, seeing the suffering of people, was ready to spare everyone and send rain on the earth, but did not want to violate the words of the prophet Elijah, who was burning with the desire to turn the hearts of the Israelites to repentance and return them to true worship of God. Keeping the prophet Elijah from the hands of Jezebel, the Lord sent him during a disaster to a secret place near the stream Cherath. The Lord commanded the predatory ravens to bring food to the prophet, thereby instilling in him pity for the suffering people. When the stream Khorath dried up, the Lord sent the prophet Elijah to Sarepta of Sidon to a poor widow who was suffering with her children in anticipation of starvation. At the request of the prophet, she prepared unleavened bread for him from the last handful of flour and the rest of the butter. Then, through the prayer of the prophet Elijah, flour and oil have not been exhausted in the widow's house since then throughout the famine. By the power of his prayer, the great prophet performed another miracle, resurrecting the deceased son of this widow. After three years of drought, the Merciful Lord sent a prophet to King Ahab to end the calamity. The prophet Elijah ordered to gather all Israel and the priests of Baal to Mount Carmel. When the people gathered, the prophet Elijah offered to build two altars: one - from the priests of Baal, the other - from the prophet Elijah to serve the True God. "On which of them the fire from heaven will fall, that will be an indication of whose God is true," said the prophet Elijah, "and everyone will have to bow to Him, and those who do not recognize Him will be put to death." The first to begin the sacrifice were the priests of Baal: they called out to the idol from morning to evening, but in vain - the sky was silent. By evening, the holy prophet Elijah erected his altar of 12 stones, according to the number of the tribes of Israel, laid the sacrifice on firewood, ordered that a ditch be dug around the altar and ordered water to be poured over the sacrifice and firewood. When the ditch filled with water, the fiery prophet turned to God with a fervent prayer and petition that the Lord would send down fire from heaven to admonish the erring and hardened Israeli people and turn their hearts to Himself. At the prayer of the prophet, fire descended from heaven and burned the sacrifice, firewood, stones, and even water. The people fell to the ground, crying out: "Truly, the Lord is One God and there is no other God besides Him!" Then the prophet Elijah killed all the priests of Baal and began to pray for rain. Through his prayer, the heavens opened and a heavy rain fell, watering the thirsty earth.

King Ahab realized his error and wept over his sins, but his wife Jezebel threatened to kill the prophet of God. The prophet Elijah fled to the kingdom of Judea and, grieving over the impotence to eradicate idolatry, asked God for his own death. An angel of the Lord appeared to him, strengthened him with food and commanded him to go to long way. The prophet Elijah walked for forty days and nights, and having reached Mount Horeb, he settled in a cave. Here, after a terrible storm, earthquake and flame, the Lord appeared "in a quiet wind" (1 Kings 19:12) and revealed to the grieving prophet that He saved seven thousand faithful servants who did not bow down to Baal. The Lord commanded the prophet Elijah to anoint (consecrate) Elisha for the prophetic ministry. For his fiery zeal for the Glory of God, the prophet Elijah was taken to Heaven alive in a fiery chariot. The prophet Elisha witnessed the ascent of the prophet Elijah to heaven in a fiery chariot and received, together with his fallen mercy (cloak), the gift of the prophetic spirit twice as much as the prophet Elijah had.

According to the tradition of the Holy Church, the prophet Elijah will be the Forerunner of the Terrible Second Coming of Christ to earth and during the sermon he will accept bodily death.

The life of the holy prophet Elijah is described in the Old Testament books (1 Kings; 2 Kings; Sir. 48:1-15; 1 Mac. 2:58). During the Transfiguration of the Lord, the prophet Elijah talked with the Savior on Mount Tabor (Matthew 17:3; Mark 9:4; Luke 9:30).

From the day of the fiery ascension to Heaven of the prophet Elijah, his veneration in the Church of Christ has never been interrupted. Russian Orthodox Church sacredly honors the prophet Elijah. The first church built in Kyiv under Prince Igor was in the name of the prophet Elijah. After Baptism, the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga (Comm. 11 July) built the Church of the Prophet Elijah in her homeland, in the village of Vybuty.

The icon-painting tradition depicts the prophet Elijah ascending in a chariot with fiery wheels, which is surrounded on all sides by flames and harnessed by four winged horses.

On August 2, the Church celebrates the memory of the holy prophet Elijah, one of the most revered saints of the Old Testament.

Not just one of the most revered saints, both in the Orthodox and in Catholic Churches. The prophet Elijah is one of the most famous people in the history of mankind. He is revered not only in Christianity and Judaism, but also in later Protestant sects and Islam, and traces of his image are present even in pagan religions.

We have collected the most interesting facts about the prophet Elijah.

1. Unknown name of the prophet Elijah

We know nothing about the origin of the prophet Elijah, about his genealogy, and even his name may not be a proper name.

"Eliyahu" in Hebrew means "Yahweh is my God." There is an opinion that the prophet took this name for himself during the confrontation with the priests of Baal.

2. Preacher of the One God

The modern Elijah, the king of Israel, Ahab, and his wife Jezebel were idolaters: they made sacrifices to the pagan deity Baal (Jezebel came from the Phoenicians who worshiped him, and was herself a priestess) and persuaded the people to this. Elijah openly denounced the king and queen, thus earning the hatred of the latter.

As a punishment for the persistence of the king in idolatry, the Lord sends heat to the country. For three years there was neither rain nor dew from the sky. The drought stopped only at the prayer of Elijah, which shamed the priests of Baal.

This happened under the following circumstances.

Elijah gathered the people of Israel and the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel and offered to lay down two altars - to God and Baal - and offer sacrifices on them, but not set fire to it. If Baal burns his victim with fire from heaven, then he is the true God. If the Lord is the true God He is.

Baal, of course, "did not accept" his sacrifice. God burned not only the sacrifice, but also the firewood, the stone altar, and even the ditch with water, which, by order of Elijah, surrounded the altar.

The people of Israel repented and glorified God, and Elijah personally killed all the priests of Baal as those who had corrupted people. After that, he prayed to the Lord for rain, and the Lord considered his prayer.

3. Live in the sky

According to Holy Tradition, in the history of mankind there are only three people taken to heaven alive: the Apostle John, Enoch and Elijah.

And if about Enoch are possible various interpretations(in the 5th chapter of the book of Genesis, it is vaguely said about his departure from earthly life: “he was gone, because God took him”), and we know about John only from Tradition, then the Bible specifically says about the prophet Elijah: “suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared, and separated them both, and Elijah rushed into heaven in a whirlwind” (2 Kings 2:11).

4. Elijah - Forerunner of Christ

According to church tradition based on the prophecy of Malachi: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord” (Mal. 4: 5), the prophet Elijah will become the forerunner of the Second Coming of Christ to earth and will be killed for preaching Christ , thereby repeating the fate of John the Baptist, who came “in the spirit and power of Elijah” as the Forerunner of the Savior (“Elijah must come first and arrange everything; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did with him as wanted, so the Son of Man will suffer by them" (Matt. 17:11-12), says Christ).

The fact that Elijah is one of the heralds of Christ is evidenced by his miracles. During the drought that followed the sins of King Ahab and the people of Israel, he settled in the house of a widow from Zarephath of Sidon, a pagan by birth - just as Christ came to the perishing people of Israel, but, being rejected, was accepted by the pagans.

In the house of the widow, Elijah resurrected her only son, who died of illness - just as Christ will resurrect the dead in His earthly life.

Another miracle in the widow's house - while the prophet was in it, the oil in the jug did not run out and the flour did not end - anticipates the miracle of the loaves and fishes with which the Lord fed those who listened to Him.

5. Elijah - the interlocutor of Christ

The Gospel testifies that Elijah is the greatest of the prophets by the fact that only he and Moses were honored with a conversation with Christ during His Transfiguration on Tabor.

There are different explanations why these two prophets are chosen by Christ for a conversation.

Firstly, Elijah, like Moses, had the experience of direct communion with God: Moses received the law from God, and also communicated with the Almighty as closely as possible for a person - he saw “the back of God” (Ex., 33). Elijah stood face to face before God at His call, “covering his face with his mantle” (1 Kings, 19).

St. John Chrysostom expresses a different opinion: “one who died and the other who has not yet experienced death” appeared before Christ in order to show that He “has power over life and death, rules over heaven and earth.”

6. Elijah in Judaism

The tradition of the prophet Eliyahu as the forerunner of Mashiach (Messiah) existed in ancient, pre-Christian Judaism, and it is preserved even now. Moreover, it is believed that Elijah will not only return to earth before the arrival of the Messiah, but will also anoint him to the kingdom (since there can be no other indication, except directly by God through a prophet, for a legitimate king after a centuries-old break in dynasties).

Jewish tradition also claims that Eliyahu visits the home of every family that meets Pesach (a memory of the exodus from Egypt) - therefore, during the ritual Passover meal, a glass is left on the table for the prophet.

7. Elijah in Islam

Prophet Elijah in Islamic tradition name is Ilyas. His biography briefly repeats the biblical biography of the prophet: he taught to worship the One God, punished for worshiping the idol Baal.

Some interpreters of the Koran and Islamic theologians believe that Idris (Enoch), Khidr (the prophet - teacher of Moses, also immortal; there is no analogue in the Bible) - other names of Ilyas. There is no eschatological meaning, which is embedded in the figure of Elijah in Christianity and Judaism, in Islam. But the belief that he was taken to heaven alive is also in Islam - it is believed that he travels the world with Khidr.

In later Islamic literature and legends, Ilyas generally becomes half-human, half-angel.

8. Elijah in folklore

Due to the fact that, according to the prophecy of Elijah, heaven was closed for three years and rain fell on the earth through his own prayer, Elijah is often associated with pre-Christian heavenly deities. Not the last role in these associations was played by the image of the prophet going to heaven - on a fiery chariot.

Already in the Christian era, in the fifth century, the poet Sedulius associated the Greek sun god Helios with the name of Elijah, especially since both of these names are very close in sound (the name "Elijah" in Greek transcription sounds like "Elias").

In the Slavic tradition, some functions of the pagan thunder god Perun were transferred to the figure of Elijah the Prophet. And the Komi people completely introduced Elijah into the pantheon of their gods: Elijah the prophet is considered an assistant to one of the demiurge deities. His attributes are flint and flint, with which he carves thunder and lightning.

9. Veneration of the prophet Elijah in Orthodox Russia

The veneration of the prophet Elijah in Russia was widespread even before her Baptism. The first temple built in Kyiv during the reign of Prince Igor was dedicated to the prophet Elijah.

After her baptism, she built a temple, also dedicated to the prophet Elijah, in her native village of Vybuty (Pskov region).

10. Whose patron is the prophet Elijah?

August 2 - "Day of the Airborne Forces". Warriors in blue berets celebrate their holiday widely, and those of them who profess to be Orthodox remember with pride that on the same day the Church remembers the prophet Elijah. Therefore, in recent times the prophet Elijah is increasingly referred to as the patron of the airborne troops.

There is nothing wrong with such calendar symbolism, especially since many of the prophet's miracles were warlike in the Old Testament. At the same time, it is important not to forget the main thing: the prophet Elijah is the patron saint of the faithful to the Lord, for he himself was faithful to Him in spite of all circumstances, he is also a mentor of the lost, for he enlightened the lost people with his miracles, he is also an example of a chaste life, for he lived in purity, not being married...

He is close to each in his own way. Therefore, the prophet Elijah, from whom we are separated by millennia, is one of the most beloved saints among the people.