Elias is the Greek form of the name Elijah, the great prophet of the ninth century BC.
This spelling appears in the New Testament when Jesus, the Gospel writers, and others refer to him.
Elijah (Elias) confronted the idolatry of Ahab and Jezebel, called down fire from heaven on Mount Carmel, and was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind.
He is remembered as a man of powerful prayer and as the forerunner figure who pointed forward to John the Baptist and ultimately to the coming of the Lord.
Elias stands as one of the most dramatic and influential prophets in Israel’s history. His name means “My God is Yahweh.” In a time when Baal worship threatened to erase the knowledge of the true God from the northern kingdom, Elias confronted kings, challenged false prophets, and demonstrated that Yahweh alone is God. He appears suddenly in the narrative of 1 Kings, performs striking miracles, flees in discouragement, hears God’s still small voice, and is finally taken up to heaven without dying. In the New Testament he is frequently mentioned: Jesus is mistaken for Elias, Moses and Elias appear with Jesus at the Transfiguration, and John the Baptist comes “in the spirit and power of Elias.” His life displays both the power of God and the human weakness of even the greatest servants.
- The name “Elias” is the Greek form of “Elijah” and is used in the New Testament (especially in the King James Version).
- He prophesied during the reign of Ahab in the northern kingdom of Israel, when Baal worship was promoted by Jezebel.
- His contest on Mount Carmel publicly demonstrated that Yahweh, not Baal, is the true God who answers by fire.
- Elias was a man of like nature with us, yet his prayers were powerful and effective (James 5:17-18).
- He was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, one of only two people in Scripture who did not experience ordinary death (Enoch being the other).
- Malachi prophesied that Elijah would come before the great and awesome day of the Lord; Jesus identified John the Baptist as the fulfillment of that promise in a significant sense.
- At the Transfiguration, Elias appeared with Moses and spoke with Jesus about His departure (exodus) that He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
- Sudden Appearance & Drought (1 Kings 17) – Elias announces to Ahab that there will be neither dew nor rain except by his word; he is fed by ravens and later by a widow at Zarephath.
- Raising the Widow’s Son (1 Kings 17) – He cries out to the Lord and the boy’s life returns to him.
- Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18) – Elias confronts the 450 prophets of Baal; fire falls from heaven and consumes the sacrifice; the people cry, “The Lord, he is God!”
- Flight to Horeb (1 Kings 19) – Threatened by Jezebel, he flees into the wilderness, prays that he might die, and meets God not in wind, earthquake, or fire, but in a low whisper.
- Call of Elisha (1 Kings 19) – He throws his cloak on Elisha, who becomes his successor.
- Confrontation with Ahab over Naboth (1 Kings 21) – He pronounces judgment on Ahab and Jezebel for the murder of Naboth.
- Taken Up to Heaven (2 Kings 2) – Elias is taken up by a whirlwind into heaven; Elisha receives a double portion of his spirit.
- New Testament Appearances – He is mentioned in connection with John the Baptist, appears at the Transfiguration, and is referenced in discussions about the coming of the Lord.
- 1 Kings 17:1 – “Now Elijah [Elias] the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.’”
- 1 Kings 18:36-39 – Elias prays at the hour of the evening sacrifice; fire falls; the people fall on their faces and say, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”
- 1 Kings 19:11-12 – The Lord passes by; a still small voice (a low whisper) comes after the wind, earthquake, and fire.
- 2 Kings 2:11 – “And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”
- Malachi 4:5-6 – “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.”
- Matthew 11:13-14 – Jesus says, “For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.”
- Matthew 17:3-4 – “And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah [Elias], talking with him.”
- Luke 1:17 – John the Baptist will go “in the spirit and power of Elijah [Elias], to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children…”
- Luke 9:30-31 – Moses and Elias appear in glory and speak of Jesus’ departure, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
- James 5:17-18 – “Elijah [Elias] was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain… Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain…”
- Romans 11:2-4 – Paul cites Elias’s complaint and God’s reply that He had kept seven thousand who had not bowed to Baal.
Elias (Elijah) is a prophet of fire and of the still small voice — a man of bold confrontation and deep discouragement, of miraculous power and very human weakness. His life demonstrates that the Lord alone is God and that He works through frail servants who trust Him. In the New Testament he appears as a forerunner figure and as a witness, alongside Moses, to the glory of Christ at the Transfiguration. The same God who answered Elias by fire and who spoke in the whisper still answers prayer and still speaks to His people. And the greater One to whom Elias pointed — Jesus Christ — has come, has accomplished His “departure” at Jerusalem, and will come again.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.