The Holy Prophet Elijah is one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament and the first known to have been dedicated to a life of virginity. He was born in Tishba of Gilead into the tribe of Levi, approximately nine hundred years before the Incarnation of the Word of God. Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus tells us that when Elijah was born, his father Sobach saw in a vision angels of God standing around the child, swaddling him with fire and feeding him with flames — a sign of the prophetic fire that would define his entire life.

From his youth, Elijah dedicated himself entirely to the One God, withdrawing into the wilderness to live in strict fasting, prayer, and meditation. The name Elijah — meaning “the Lord is my God” — defined his mission. He was called to prophetic service at a moment when the Israelite nation had largely abandoned the God of their fathers, led astray by the impious King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, who introduced the worship of the pagan god Baal into the land of Israel.

A Fiery Zealot for the Truth

Elijah’s ministry was marked by fearless confrontation of the powers of his day. He called down drought on the land as a sign of God’s judgment, was miraculously fed by ravens in the wilderness, raised the son of the widow of Zarephath from the dead, and challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest on Mount Carmel that demonstrated before all Israel that the Lord alone is God. When fire fell from heaven and consumed his offering — and the prophets of Baal were silenced — it was the defining moment of his prophetic ministry.

His Ascent to Heaven

The Prophet Elijah did not die in the ordinary sense. He was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire drawn by horses of fire, ascending in a whirlwind before the eyes of his disciple Elisha — one of the most dramatic departures in all of Sacred Scripture. In the iconographic tradition of the Church, he is depicted ascending in this fiery chariot, surrounded by flames. The Church venerates him as the forerunner of the Second Coming of Christ, believing that Elijah will return before the Dread Day of the Lord to proclaim repentance and truth to the world.

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Prophet Elijah on July 20, honoring a man who stood alone for the truth when all around him had fallen away, and whom God received into glory without tasting death.