Prophet Elias

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The Story Behind This Icon: The Holy Prophet Elijah (Elias in Greek) is one of the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. He lived 900 years before the Incarnation of Jesus Christ . A member of the Levite tribe, Prophet Elias spent his whole life dedicated to God, living in the wilderness in strict fasting and prayer, wearing camel skins and eating such sustenance as God provided in the desert. If you recognize these traits in another Holy Prophet - the Forerunner John the Baptist - that is by design, as the Prophet Elias will be the Forerunner of the Second Coming of Christ. Prophet Elias is depicted similarly in icons - see here in our icon of the Prophet, where he wears the skin of a camel on his back and has long, unruly hair, just as John the Baptist is often shown. The Prophet Elias is honored among all Orthodox peoples and churches dedicated to him are commonly found on the peak of a mountain. During the time of Prophet Elias, the Israelite nation had fallen away from the faith of their Fathers, abandoning the One God and worshiping pagan idols. Prophet Elias boldly denounced the King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, for leading the people astray by sponsoring the worship of idols such as the pagan demon Baal. The king and his wife would not listen, their hearts hardened by vainglory. Prophet Elias declared to the king that as punishment there would be a drought, and the heavens closed for three and a half years. After three years the Prophet appeared again before the king, promising to send rain upon the earth. Prophet Elias ordered King Ahab to gather all the people upon Mount Carmel and ordered two sacrificial altars be built, one for the pagan priests and one for Elias who served the True God. Prophet Elias told them to call on their gods to consume their altar with fire; whoever's god would answer would be acknowledged as the true God. The priests of Baal called out all day to no avail. At the evening, Elias built his altar and soaked it with water. Upon his prayer to God, fire came down from heaven and consumed the altar and the sacrifice, and even the water. Immediately the Prophet Elias ordered the pagan priests to be put to death and upon his prayer, rain fell from the sky, the first since before the drought. King Ahab acknowledged his error and repented of his sins. The miracles he performed in the name of God are too many to count. In his life, Elias gained one apostle, Elisseus, who was with him until the end, where after splitting the Jordan in half and reaching the other side, a fiery chariot from heaven stole Elias away. It is written that before the Second Coming of Christ, Elias will return on his fiery chariot to prophesize and show the power of God once again. Prophet Elias' feast day is celebrated on July 20. *** This icon is made of solid, natural limewood (Tilia) that has been prepared by hand using traditional methods and organic materials. The background is comprised of 22 Karat gold leaves that were meticulously applied by hand, piece by piece. All of our icons are reproduced according to museum print standards and are authentic replicas of Holy Icons from Mount Athos and elsewhere. Learn more about how our Holy Icons are made here. Show more