Chapter 22: Elijah the Tishbite came from a town in Gilead – the same Geographical Region that the Prophet Isaiah spoke of in Isaiah 9:1-2, and like Christ, Elijah’s life and ministry was tied to the Galilee – 1 Kings 17:1
Elijah saw the “Shekinah” glory of Christ that Isaiah spoke of:
Elijah departed this earth in a whirlwind carried to heaven in a chariot of fire
It was here in Galilee that Elijah departed this earth in a whirlwind carried to heaven in a chariot of fire.
And, it was here that Elijah returned and appeared alongside Christ on a mountain in Galilee when Christ was Transfigured. As Jesus’ face shone like the sun and His clothes became dazzling white, Elijah saw Christ in all His glory – the great and glorious light prophesied by Isaiah. Isaiah 9:1-2; Mark 9:2-8; Matthew 17:1-8; Luke 9:28-36
Pause and think of how profound it is that before Christ was born Elijah supernaturally departed from this earth, specifically the Galilee, then supernaturally returned to the Galilee to witness the Shekinah glory of Christ that Isaiah spoke of.
Elijah, the Tishbite, came from a town in Gilead, a region located “Beyond the Jordan” – land that was allotted to the Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the Tribe of Manasseh east of the Jordan (Numbers 32), but still part of the Galilee formerly known as the “Northern Kingdom of Israel.”
Elijah’s hometown is of the utmost relevance because Elijah’s hometown of Gilead was located in the same geographical regions that the Prophet Isaiah spoke of in Isaiah 9:1-2 concerning the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
1 Kings 17:1 1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. KJV
Judges 5:17 confirms that “Gilead” is located “Beyond the Jordan.”
Judges 5:17 17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan, And why did Dan remain on ships? Asher continued at the seashore, And stayed by his inlets. NKJV
Reading Scripture from a “Geographical” Perspective:
Like Christ, the focus of Elijah’s Prophetic Ministry was the “Galilee” “Beyond the Jordan” and the “Galilee of the Gentiles,” which at the time was known as the “Northern Kingdom of Israel.” It was not just happenstance that, like Christ, it was God’s will that Elijah’s life and ministry was forever tied to the Geographical areas in the Galilee, the Galilee of the Gentiles, and “Beyond the Jordan,” where Elijah fulfilled his Prophetic Ministry.
As a reminder, 700 years before Christ was born the Prophet Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah’s life and ministry was tied to the northern regions of Israel in “Galilee,” the “Galilee of the Gentiles,” “Beyond the Jordan,” and “by the “Way of the Sea.” Hence, the spiritual significance of “Gilead,” Elijah’s hometown located “Beyond the Jordan” cannot be ignored. Isaiah 9:1-2; Matthew 4:12-17
Isaiah 9:1-2 1 But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish [for with judgment comes the promise of salvation]. In earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He will make them honored [by the presence of the Messiah], by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.
2 Will see a great Light; Those who live in the dark land, The Light will shine on them. Amplified Bible
Just as Isaiah prophesied (Isaiah 9:1-2 and Luke 4:16-21), those living in the “Land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, Beyond the Jordan, the Galilee, the Galilee of the Gentiles and by the Way of the Sea, saw the great light of the Messiah who lived among them. Living among them, Jesus brought the Good News of the Gospel to the poor, He healed the brokenhearted, He set the captives and oppressed free, and among His many other miracles, the blind recovered their eyesight.
Elijah saw the Great Light of Christ at the Transfiguration of Christ: And (as previously stated), so it was with the Prophet Elijah the Tishbite who came from Gilead a town located “Beyond the Jordan,” whose hometown and ministry, like that of Christ, was tied to the same geographical regions in northern Israel that the Prophet spoke of in Isaiah 9:1-2. And, like those in northern Israel who saw the great light of Christ Elijah saw the great light of Christ when Christ was Transfigured on the Mount of Transfiguration that is located in the Galilee.
And, that brings me to “The Northern Kingdom of Israel.”
By Way of History:
Before either Elijah or Christ were born, King David’s dynasty was torn in two
Over time and before either Elijah or Christ were born, King David’s dynasty was torn in two because of King Solomon’s sins (1 Kings 11:9-13, 29-35). However, given God’s promise to King David to preserve the line of the Messiah that must come out of the Tribe of Judah, the Lord did not tear the Tribe of Judah from the hand of Solomon’s dynasty. The Tribe of Benjamin remained with Judah and these two tribes formed the “Southern Kingdom of Judah,” with Jerusalem as its capital.
The Ten Tribes of Israel that were torn from Solomon’s hand were all from the geographical regions that Isaiah prophesied would be the first to see the great light of the Messiah
On the other hand, the Ten Tribes of Israel that were torn from Solomon’s hand were all from the geographical regions that Isaiah prophesied would be the first to see the great light of the Messiah (Isaiah 9:1-2). These ten tribes torn from the hand of King Solomon were given to Jeroboam, who was from the Tribe of Ephraim located in the Galilee. Jeroboam became the first King of the newly formed “Northern Kingdom of Israel” and established his capital at Shechem, a town located in Samaria (1 Kings 12:1-20), where the Patriarchs were buried (Acts 7:16) and where Jacob purchased a parcel of land (Genesis 33: 16-20) and settled after leaving Mesopotamia after a temporary stay in Succoth, a city in the tribe of Gad, on the other side of the Jordan.
Shechem is in the hill country of Ephraim and was the first Capital of the northern kingdom of Israel; however, eventually Samaria replaced Shechem as the Capitol of the “Northern Kingdom of Israel.”
The spiritual significance of the connection between Israel’s Patriarchs and the geographical regions in Isaiah’s Prophecy that ties both Elijah and Christ to the same geographical areas is undeniable and cannot be ignored.
And, that brings me back to Elijah the Tishbite who was from the Northern Kingdom of Israel and who God sent to rebuke King Ahab, the seventh King to rule over the “Northern Kingdom of Israel” from his capital that was now in Samaria.
During Christ’s lifetime all of Israel was under the rule of the Roman Government; however, we know from 1 Kings 17:1 that during Elijah’s lifetime the “Northern Kingdom of Israel” had not yet fallen and was under the rule of King Ahab, the son of Omri, who sinned above all that were before him. King Ahab was one in a line of increasingly evil kings in Israel’s history, starting with the reign of King Jeroboam who caused Israel to sin and provoked God to anger.
1 Kings 16:29-31 29 And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years. 30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him. 31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him. KJV
Hence, Elijah’s rebuke to King Ahab: God sent Elijah to rebuke King Ahab, the “Apostate” King who ruled the “Northern Kingdom of Israel” and prophesy that because of his sins the whole “Northern Kingdom of Israel” would suffer a famine.
1 Kings 17:1 1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. KJV
God allowed the Assyrians to invade the Northern Kingdom of Israel which brought about the demise of the 200 year old Kingdom of Northern Israel
Hoshea, the Nineteenth and last King of the Northern Kingdom of Israel: And, in due time, because of the increasing evil and sins of those living in the Galilee, God allowed the Assyrians to invade the Northern Kingdom of Israel which brought about the demise of the 200-year-old Kingdom of northern Israel (never to rise again – 2Kings 17:1-7).
2 Kings 17:1-7 1 Hoshea son of Elah began to rule over Israel in the twelfth year of King Ahaz’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria nine years. 2 He did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, but not to the same extent as the kings of Israel who ruled before him. 3 King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked King Hoshea, so Hoshea was forced to pay heavy tribute to Assyria. 4 But Hoshea stopped paying the annual tribute and conspired against the king of Assyria by asking King So of Egypt to help him shake free of Assyria’s power. When the king of Assyria discovered this treachery, he seized Hoshea and put him in prison. 5 Then the king of Assyria invaded the entire land, and for three years he besieged the city of Samaria. 6 Finally, in the ninth year of King Hoshea’s reign, Samaria fell, and the people of Israel were exiled to Assyria. They were settled in colonies in Halah, along the banks of the Habor River in Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. 7 This disaster came upon the people of Israel because they worshiped other gods. They sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them safely out of Egypt and had rescued them from the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. NLT
And, that brings me back to Christ who was born long after the “Northern Kingdom of Israel” had fallen to the Assyrians. It was this same geographical region that those who were then walking in the darkness of the sins of their forebears and the darkness that was the result of the Assyrian invasion that would see the glorious light of Jesus Christ who brought light into the spiritual darkness of the geographical areas identified by the Prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 9:1-2 1 But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish [for with judgment comes the promise of salvation]. In earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He will make them honored [by the presence of the Messiah], by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.
2 Will see a
great Light;
Jesus lived, healed the sick, delivered the oppressed, preached, taught, and performed miracles in the “Land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, Beyond the Jordan, the Galilee, the Galilee of the Gentiles and by the Way of the Sea, the region that was known as the Northern Kingdom of Israel before the Assyrian invasion brought about its fall and a new darkness spread over the area that was already dark.
And, so it was with Elijah.
Like Christ, the life and ministry of Elijah, the Tishbite, who came from Gilead a town located “Beyond the Jordan” was the Prophet that God sent to rebuke King Ahab, the Galilean King who ruled the “Northern Kingdom of Israel” because of his idolatry was tied to the same geographical regions of the northern kingdom of Israel.
And, like Christ, Elijah left the borders of Israel and went into Tyre and Sidon where, like Christ, he ministered to a Gentile woman and her child. Christ set the Phoenician’s daughter free from the demonic and Elijah raised the Sidonian woman’s son from the dead.
Up until the account recorded in 1 Kings 17:1 when Elijah’s prophesied to King Ahab that there would be a famine throughout the land, Scripture is silent about Elijah. Elijah appears suddenly, and just as unexpectedly, Elijah leaves this world in a Chariot of Fire. Then, according to God’s will, Elijah miraculously appears on the Mount of Transfiguration alongside Jesus Christ and Moses. Needless to say, the life and ministry of Elijah deserves a careful study because of his relationship to both John the Baptist, who came in the spirit of Elijah (Matthew 11:14; Luke 1:17), and his Messianic (eschatological) relationship to Jesus.
Elijah’s presence at the Transfiguration of Christ will forever connect Elijah to the life of Christ
Elijah’s presence at the Transfiguration of Christ will forever connect Elijah to the life of Christ. It was not just happenstance, but of the utmost spiritual significance, that Elijah, as well as Moses, appeared alongside Christ when He was Transfigured at which time both Moses and Elijah discussed Christ’s upcoming departure from this earth. (Mark 9:2-4; 31) Connecting the Dots: In Matthew 4:12-17 Matthew connected the dots between Isaiah 9:1-2 to Jesus’ life and ministry in the Galilee for us so that we could grasp the bigger picture and understand God’s plan for all of mankind – not just that of the Jewish people, but the Gentiles as well – even before the birth of Christ. By connecting the dots between Isaiah’s prophecy and the life of Christ, we are able to understand the relevance between the great light that Isaiah spoke of 700 years before Christ was born (that those walking in darkness would see a great light) and the words of Christ who said “I AM the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Christ Himself connected the dots between Elijah and John the Baptist (who came and ministered in the spirit of Elijah – Matthew 17:11-13) as well as between Himself and Elijah who was present at the “Transfiguration of Christ” that took place in the Galilee – Luke 9:28-31. Matthew 17:10-11; Malachi 4:5-6.
According to Jesus, John the Baptist’s ministry was the prophesied reappearing of Elijah’s ministry that prepared the way for the coming of Jesus
In Christ’s Testimony Concerning John the Baptist, Jesus Connects the Dots with Isaiah’s Prophecy as Recorded in Isaiah 40: According to Jesus, John the Baptist’s ministry was the prophesied reappearing of Elijah’s ministry that prepared the way for the coming of Jesus. Once again, Christ connects the dots with another of Isaiah’s prophecies (Matthew 11:7-15). In Isaiah 40 we find that Isaiah prophesied about one that would come to prepare the way for the Messiah.
Matthew 11:7-15 7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. KJV
Gospel writers Matthew, Mark and Luke also made the connection between Isaiah’s prophecy and John the Baptist – Matthew 3: 1-6; Luke 3:1-6 and Mark 1:1-8.
Furthermore, Jesus made the connection between Satan’s temptations with Scriptures from the Old Testament and applied those Biblical principles to Himself so as not to fall into Satan’s trap. Matthew 4
And when the Priests and Levites came from Jerusalem to the Galilee where John was baptizing “beyond the Jordan” and asked him who he was, John the Baptist made the connection between Isaiah’s prophecy by applying Isaiah’s prophecy to himself saying, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord” John 1:19-28. This too took place in the Galilee “Beyond the Jordan” (Transjordan).
When we connect the dots between Isaiah 9:1-2 and Matthew 4:12-16 we are able to correctly discern how events in the past are connected to events that happen in specific geographical regions in our own lifetime from a spiritual and eternal perspective
Scripture Interprets Scripture: When we connect the dots between Isaiah 9:1-2 and Matthew 4:12-16 we are able to correctly discern how events in the past are connected to events that happen in specific geographical regions in our own lifetime from a spiritual and eternal perspective. For example, the relationship between George Otis and the founder of the South Lebanon Army and the birth of the “The Voice of Hope” on the war-torn battlefield of Lebanon and the “Historic Maritime Agreement” on October 11, 2022 between Israel and Lebanon who share a border in the “Galilee of the Gentiles.”
Proverbs 1:4-11 reveals that our “Past is Prologue to our Future”: The “Voice of Hope” is a continuance of the Great Commission commanded by Christ to take the Gospel throughout the world and is now heard on every continent of the world. The “Voice of Hope” bears witness to the Great Light of Jesus Christ – the same light that shone in the darkness in the Galilee when Christ walked the earth. It is a light that shines in the darkness – a light the darkness can never extinguish. The great light of Christ is a light that cannot be seen from those who are perishing of their unbelief. Those who are walking in the darkness of their unbelief cannot understand the light because of Satan, our spiritual enemy who has blinded those who don’t believe. However, the darkness of Satan can never extinguish the great light of Jesus Christ from those who do believe.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. NLT
John 1:4-5 4 The
Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to
everyone.
It all Began in the Galilee: Those to first witness the great light of Jesus Christ were those living in darkness in the Galilee – the geographical regions where Jesus lived and ministered. From the time those living in the Galilee first saw the great light of Christ the “Great I AM – the Light of the World – the world has not been the same!
When we connect the dots, we can see the New Testament in the Old Testament and Vice Versa and how the Light of Jesus Christ who Created the World is relevant to God’s plan for all of Mankind
The whole area of the land of Zebulon and of Naphtali was in ruins, so that this area is called the Galilee of the nations. It was a very dark period for that part of the land. Isaiah prophesied of a great light that would shine on the people who are in darkness due to the consequences of their sin. The light shining on the people of Isaiah’s day was the shining of the Word of God, which alone brings deliverance and salvation. God would give liberty, comfort and salvation in the way of repentance and turning to the Lord. But even more intensely that Light would one day shine in Galilee, in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
During the Conquest, Joshua allocated territories west of the Sea of Galilee for the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali to settle. When the kingdom divided, these territories became part of the northern kingdom of Israel. Though these were the first areas to be overrun and humbled by the Assyrians in 733 BC (2 Kings 16:29), and by later powers (thus called, "Galilee of the Gentiles"), they include the site where the town of Nazareth would be built – where Jesus would be raised, as well as the area of Galilee where much of Jesus' ministry was conducted.
Matthew tells us that this prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus:
Matthew 4:12-14 "When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali -- to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah."
To understand the future we have to connect the dots of past events. The following text, while not all inclusive, is to connect enough dots to the events that happened in the geographical areas prophesied by Isaiah in Isaiah 9:1-2 and show how each event in both the Old and New Testament is relevant to the life of Elijah as well as Christ not only in the past, but to future events yet to come to pass and how each is relevant to God’s Universal plan for all of mankind.
Then and Now: From the Galilee to the Entire World
The Great Light of Jesus Christ first seen by those living in the darkness of the Galilee is still seen today. The light of Jesus Christ continues to shine in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it
Connecting the Dots: In Matthew 4:12-17 Matthew connected the dots between Isaiah 9:1-2 to Jesus’ life and ministry in the Galilee for us so that we could grasp the bigger picture and understand God’s plan for all of mankind – not just that of the Jewish people – but the Gentiles as well. By connecting the dots for us between Isaiah’s prophecy and the life of Christ we are able to understand the relevance between the great light that Isaiah spoke of 700 years before Christ was born – that those walking in darkness would see a great light with the words of Christ who said, “I AM the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Jesus Christ, the Great Light of the World was first seen in the Galilee where the Gates of Hell were located in Caesarea Philippi.
John 8:12 12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. KJV
Matthew 4:12-16 12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; 13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: 14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. KJV
Scripture Interprets Scripture: When we connect the dots between Isaiah 9:1-2 and Matthew 4:12-16 we are able to correctly discern how events in the past are connected to present-day events that happen in our own lifetime from a spiritual and eternal perspective. For example, the relationship between George Otis and the founder of the South Lebanon Army and the birth of the “The Voice of Hope” on the war-torn battlefield of Lebanon and the “Historic Maritime Agreement” on October 11, 2022 between Israel and Lebanon who share a border in the “Galilee of the Gentiles.”
The “Voice of Hope” that is now heard on every continent of the world brought the Great Light of Jesus Christ to everything that God created even though the darkness has not understood it because of Satan, our spiritual enemy who has blinded those who don’t believe. However, the darkness of Satan can never extinguish the great light of Jesus Christ from those who do believe.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. NLT
John 1:4-5 4 The
Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to
everyone.
Those to first witness the great light of Jesus Christ were those living in darkness in the Galilee – the geographical regions where Jesus lived and ministered. From the time those living in the Galilee first saw the great light of Christ the “Great I AM – the Light of the World – the world has not been the same!
It all Began on the First Day of Creation when God Separated Light from the Darkness (Genesis 1:3-4): Ecclesiastes 1:9 teaches that History merely repeats itself that nothing under the sun is truly new – what has been will be again – our past is prologue to our future. And, that holds true for Jesus Christ who said, “I AM the Light of the World” – the Light that those living in the Galilee were the first to witness.
We can connect the dots of Jesus Christ as the “Light of the World” from the Beginning of Creation (Genesis 1) to the Light in New Jerusalem (Revelation 21).
Jesus Christ, the “Light of the World,” is the Alpha and Omega of Light Beginning with Creation and Ending with the New Jerusalem
When we connect the dots it becomes obvious that the Great Light that those living in the darkness of the Galilee saw was also seen at the beginning of the world when it was created, and is the Light of the New Jerusalem that will shine so brightly that neither the sun or moon need exist.
Genesis 1:1-5 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and He called the darkness “night.” Evening came and then morning: the first day. HCSB
We know from Hebrews 1:1-19 that Christ created and sustains the world. And, the Apostle John reveals that God sent John the Baptist to tell the world about the Light – about Jesus the true light who gives light to everyone, that Jesus, the true light, was coming into the very world that He created. John 3:19; John 12:46
John 1:1-10 1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. 6 God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. NLT
Colossians 1:15-16 15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him. NLT
The Book of Genesis is known as the Book of beginnings – the beginning of creation. And, it was at that point in time when the great light that those living in the Galilee would eventually see was first manifest. The Book of Revelation gives us the finality of everything that was created including the great light that those living in Galilee saw – the great light of Jesus Christ who said “I AM the light of the world” that will shine so brightly in the New Jerusalem that there will be no need of either the sun or moon.
Jesus Christ the Lamb of God is the Light of New Jerusalem:
Revelation 21:22-24 22 I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. 24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. NLT
Elijah as well as Peter, James and John, saw the great light of Jesus Christ that was present when light was separated from the darkness in Genesis 1 and the light of Christ that will be the light that will illuminate the New Jerusalem at the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ
Matthew 17:1-2 1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. NKJV
The light of Genesis 1 was a physical manifestation of Christ’s glory on the first day of creation and will once again manifest in the New Jerusalem, as Christ’s glory will once again manifest as the light of the New Jerusalem.
Genesis 1:4 reveals that God separated light from darkness” and this message of separating light from darkness is echoed in 2 Corinthians 6:14
2 Corinthians 6:14 14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? NKJV
What communion has light with darkness? What part hath the Believer with an Unbeliever?
The separation of light from darkness begins in Genesis 1:4 and echoes throughout Scripture. In the Book of Revelation the Apostle John reveals that because of the light of Christ that will manifest in the New Jerusalem there will be no night and no darkness. In other words, there will be no sin and no sinners from which saints must separate ourselves.
When Connecting the Dots with the Important Events that took place within the Geographical Regions in Isaiah’s Prophecy of Isaiah 9:1-2 we find that many of the important events in the lives of Abraham, Jacob, King David, John the Baptist as well as Elijah and Christ, Occurred in the regions of the Galilee, the Galilee of the Gentiles and Beyond the Jordan. And, for that reason when connecting the dots to the Biblical events that took place in the geographical areas in Isaiah’s prophecy of Isaiah 9:1-2 we have to look at the lives of Abraham, Jacob, King David, and John the Baptist as well as Elijah and Christ.
Like the Patriarchs, the Israelites came into the Promised Land of Canaan from Transjordan, the birthplace of Elijah (1Kings 17:1) and where Jesus was baptized “Beyond the Jordan” by John the Baptist (John 1:19-34).
The life of Elijah is multifaceted as he was a foreshadowing in one way or another with the events that took place in the lives of both John the Baptist and Christ. 1 Kings 17:1 reveals that until Elijah gave the Word there would be no rain. And, for that reason, many believe that Elijah is one of the two witnesses in the account of Revelation 11:3-13, specifically verse 6 that reveals the witnesses will have the power to shut heaven that no rain will fall for as long as they prophecy.
As such, we need to carefully consider and examine the events that happened in Elijah’s life that took place in the same geographical locations in Isaiah 9:1-2 that the prophet Isaiah revealed would be where Jesus would live and where His ministry would be birthed.
When God took Elijah up by a Chariot of Fire, Elisha referred to Elijah as “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel” (2 Kings 2:12), an expression that reveals just how important Elijah’s life, ministry and intercession was to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, that Elijah meant more to Israel than chariots and horsemen. Elisha like others knew that Elijah was the strength of Israel at a time when Israel was ruled by Ahab, the most evil king to rule over Israel. Elijah’s intercession and obedience to the Lord had done more for the defense, preservation and prosperity of the Northern Kingdom of Israel than their kings or Israel’s chariots and horsemen.
On earth as in Heaven: As Christians we know that there is always a spiritual dimension to the earthly. One is not inconsistent with the other as one cannot exist without the other. Anyone who has read the Bible starting with Genesis all the way through Revelation knows that from the beginning of time, geography has played an important part in determining the world as we know it today.
Mount Moriah: For example, the location of the Temple that King Solomon built in Jerusalem was not selected by man or by chance, but according to 2 Chronicles 3:1, was erected on a “Threshing Floor” on Mount Moriah, a site that was determined by God Himself (Deuteronomy 12:5, 2 Chronicles 3:1). Furthermore, according to 1 Chronicles 28:11-12, the design of the Temple that King David gave to his son Solomon who built the Temple was given to him by the Holy Spirit that Hebrews 8:5 reveals was but a shadow of the Tabernacle in Heaven.
2 Chronicles 3:1 1 Now Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. NLT
Hebrews 8:5 5 They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.” NLT
Both King David and King Solomon would have known the spiritual significance of Mount Moriah, the geographical location where the Temple was built because it was here on Mount Moriah that Abraham’s faith was tested (Genesis 22:2, 12).
Genesis 22:12 12 The Lord said, “Do not reach out [with the knife in] your hand against the boy, and do nothing to [harm] him; for now I know that you fear God [with reverence and profound respect], since you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son [of promise].” Amplified Bible
This was God’s plan all along, and Abraham had passed God’s test of his faith. From my own personal experiences it was only when my faith was tested that I knew the depth of my faith and was grateful for each and every test that God walked me through. Faith is never faith until our faith is tested.
Compare the Lord’s reference to Isaac as "your son, your only son [of promise]" to John 3:16 that reads “For God so loved the world, that he gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."
Abraham’s faith in the Lord was now absolute. When God provided a ram to replace Isaac, Abraham now knew beyond any doubt that God would make provisions for His people and keep His promises.
King David placed his focus on the “Threshing Floor” of Mount Moriah: It was not just the spiritual significance of the geographical location of Mount Moriah where Abraham offered Isaac. King David’s focus was on the “Threshing Floor” at Mount Moriah because this is where the Angel of the Lord told Gad (David’s Seer) to instruct King David to build an altar unto the Lord. 1 Chronicles 21:18
1 Chronicles 21:18 18 Then the angel of the LORD told Gad to instruct David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. NLT
The symbolism of the Threshing Floor throughout the Old and New Testament is profound and it was not just happenstance that where Solomon built the Temple was a Threshing Floor – where the wheat is separated from the chaff.
Throughout Scripture, Chaff is used as a symbol of what is worthless, meaningless and of no value; chaff speaks of the ungodly and false doctrine. Job 21:18; Psalm 1:4-6; Psalm 35:5; Isaiah 5:24; 17:13; 29:5; 33:11; 41:15; Jeremiah 23:28; Daniel 2:35; Hosea 13:3; Zephaniah 2:2; Matthew 13:30.
And, John the Baptist tells us that Christ will thoroughly purge the chaff from His threshing floor – the Church. Christ will gather the wheat into His granary, which is His Church, but burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Matthew 3:11-12 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12 Whose fan is in His hand, and He will throughly purge his floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. KJV
It was at the threshing floor that King David repented – where the wheat was separated from the chaff in King David’s life and where his son King Solomon would build the Temple!
We know from 2 Chronicles 3:1 that the Temple was built on Mount Moriah and we also know from Genesis 22:2 it was there on Mount Moriah that God appeared to Abraham as he was about to sacrifice his son Isaac. Hence, Mount Moriah was a geographical location that King Solomon, like all of Israel, knew was of great spiritual significance. And, so it is today. No other piece of land in the entire world is as sought after as the Threshing Floor of Mount Moriah because of its spiritual significance!
The Threshing Floor of Atad “Beyond the Jordan” is where Jacob’s sons mourned his death for seven days: And, that brings me back to “Beyond the Jordan” and the “Threshing Floor of Atad” where Abraham’s grandson Jacob was mourned for seven days before crossing over the Jordan to the Patriarch’s Tomb where Isaac was buried alongside Abraham, Isaac, Sarah, Rebekah and Leah.
No doubt, that they mourned Jacob at Atad’s Threshing Floor for seven days had great spiritual significance
On their way to the Patriarch’s Tomb to bury their father Jacob, it’s important to understand why Jacob’s sons stopped “Beyond the Jordan” where they mourned Jacob for Severn Days, because, from a geographical perspective, the route Jacob’s sons took through the Transjordan made no sense. Genesis 50:7-10
Which begs the question, Why would Joseph and his brothers go to the Transjordan in order to get to Canaan rather than take the direct route from Egypt to Canaan? Yet, the funeral procession chose to travel through Gilead, the hometown of Elijah, on their way to the Patriarch’s Tomb on the other side of the Jordan River.
The “Spiritual Significance” of the geographical areas in Isaiah 9:1-2 helps us to understand why Joseph and his brothers stopped “Beyond the Jordan” to mourn for their father Jacob for seven days before crossing the river over into Canaan to bury Jacob in the tomb with his fathers, Abraham and Isaac and their wives, Sarah and Rebekah.
There is no doubt that Jacob’s sons understood the deep “Spiritual Significance” of the many events that took place “Beyond the Jordan” in Jacob’s life. It was “Beyond the Jordan” where God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, which accounts as to why northern Israel was known as the Northern Kingdom of Israel rather than Judah, who was simply known as the Southern Kingdom of Judah. His sons mourned for Jacob in the very geographical area, Beyond the Jordan, where God changed his name to Israel.
The “State of Israel” united as one nation in 1948: One would have thought that the “Southern Kingdom of Judah” would have had the honor of bearing the name of Israel because that is where Jerusalem is located, but we need to keep in mind that the kingdom was torn in half because of the sins of King Solomon who was from the tribe of Judah. It was not until 1948 when the Jewish people won their independence that all the Jewish people united to become one – hence the “State of Israel.”
And, this was a fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy:
Ezekiel 37:22 “And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:” ASV
The essence of the meaning here is that the tribes of the northern and southern kingdoms would no longer be thought of as two separate kingdoms, but would now all be known as Israel – hence today’s Nation of Israel.
When Israel won their independence in 1948, it was both a physical re-gathering to the land and a spiritual re-gathering to God Himself. The present-day existence of the State of Israel is only the initial fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy that will find its fulfillment only when Christ returns to establish His kingdom during His millennial reign.
Jewish Identity has and always will be tied to the Land: We know from Genesis 12 through Genesis 13 that the geography of the land of Israel is central to Judaism. For example, according to Jewish Law – the Jewish people are commanded to go up to Jerusalem every year to celebrate the “Feasts of the Lord.” Every student of Scripture knows that the law and its traditions were tied to the land of Israel.
It is important to understand that God gave Canaan, and only Canaan, to the Israelites as the Promised Land. More to the point, there was no other geographical area that the Israelites could build the Temple or offer sacrifices. The Temple and the worship of the Lord were tied to Canaan.
Present-day Israel: The Israelites continue to believe in the Promise that God made to Abraham thousands of years ago and have fought many battles over the very land that God showed Abraham in Genesis 13:14-15.
John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah: Twelve Connections between the lives of Elijah, John the Baptist, Christ Jesus, and Israel’s Patriarch, Jacob
The following makes a spiritual connection between the lives of Elijah, John the Baptist, Christ and even Israel’s Patriarch Jacob (whose name God changed to Israel). Jacob’s name was changed while he was on his way back to the Promised Land but still “Beyond the Jordan,” where Elijah was from and where Elijah was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire; hence, the name of the Northern Kingdom of Israel – the name the nation of Israel took in 1948 when they became the nation as the world knows them today.
1. Elijah was from Gilead a town, in Galilee located “Beyond the Jordan”
2. John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah
Malachi promised God would send Elijah the prophet before the coming “day of the Lord” and in Matthew 11 Jesus identifies John the Baptist as Elijah.
Malachi 4:5-6 5 “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the LORD arrives. 6 His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.” NLT
Matthew 11:11-15 11 “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is! 12 And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it. 13 For before John came, all the prophets and the law of Moses looked forward to this present time. 14 And if you are willing to accept what I say, he is Elijah, the one the prophets said would come. 15 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! NLT
Matthew 11:11, 14 reveals that John the Baptist was the Elijah that "must first come,” the forerunner of Christ Jesus, that was announced by Malachi.
3. “Beyond the Jordan”: Like Elijah, much of John the Baptist’s Ministry took place “Beyond the Jordan” where he Baptized Jesus.
Matthew 3:13 13 Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. NLT
John 1:24-28 24 Then the Pharisees who had been sent 25 asked him, “If you aren’t the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?” 26 John told them, “I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize. 27 Though His ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be His slave and untie the straps of his sandal.” 28 This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing. NLT
John 1:19-28 19This is the testimony of John [the Baptist] when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20And he confessed [truthfully] and did not deny [that he was only a man], but acknowledged, “I am not the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)!” 21 They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the [promised] Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23He said, “I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” 24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize [only] in water, but among you there stands One whom you do not recognize and of whom you know nothing. 27 It is He [the preeminent One] who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie [even as His slave].” 28 These things occurred in Bethany across the Jordan [at the Jordan River crossing], where John was baptizing. 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! Amplified Bible
Bethany “Beyond the Jordan” River: Notice is taken of the place where John was baptizing and that Jesus came to Bethany to see John. In the context of John 1, given that the Priests and Levites came from Jerusalem to Bethany to talk with John the Baptist, we know that this particular Bethany was “Beyond the Jordan” on the east side of the Jordan (not the hometown of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha). This particular Bethany was located, on the east side of the Jordan River, probably the Tribe of Reuben.
The region east of the Jordan river is called the Trans-Jordan , literally "across the Jordan," from the perspective of people living on the west side.
Other Scriptures that reference “Beyond the Jordan”:
Matthew 3:13 13 Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. NLT
Matthew 4:12-15 12 When He heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth behind and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. 14 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 15 Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, along the sea road, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles! HCSB
Matthew 19:1-2 1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went down to the region of Judea east of the Jordan River. 2 Large crowds followed him there, and he healed their sick. NLT
NKJV reads: “Beyond the Jordan”
Mark 1:5, 9-11 5 All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. ….. 9 One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. 10 As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” NLT
Mark 3:7-8 7 But
Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from
Galilee followed Him, and from Judea 8 and Jerusalem and Idumea
and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great
multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him. NKJV Mark 10:1 1 And
he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan,
and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught
them. ESV Luke 3:3-4 3 Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned to God to receive forgiveness for their sins. 4 Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming! Clear the road for him! NLT
Luke 4:1 1 Then
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by
the Spirit in the wilderness, NLT John 1:28 28 This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing. NLT
John 3:26 26 So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us.” NLT
John 10:39-42 39 Once again they tried to arrest Him, but He got away and left them. 40 He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptizing and stayed there awhile. 41 And many followed Him. “John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.” 42 And many who were there believed in Jesus. NLT
Jacob’s Sons Mourned for him “Beyond the Jordan”
Genesis 50:7-10 7 And Joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father's house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company. 10 And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days. KJV
Jacob set his Face Toward Gilead – Elijah’s Hometown “Beyond the Jordan”
Genesis 31:17-21 17 So Jacob arose and set his sons and his wives on camels. 18 He drove away all his livestock, all his property that he had gained, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac. 19 Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father’s household gods. 20 And Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he intended to flee. 21 He fled with all that he had and arose and crossed the Euphrates, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead. ESV
The first place Jacob lived in Canaan after his return was “Beyond the Jordan,” a location known as Succoth.
Genesis 33:17 17 "Jacob, however, went to Succoth, where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Succoth." NIV
The place name Succoth is so named because Jacob built a house and shelters or booths for his livestock there as well.
Beyond the River was the “Gateway” to the Promised Land It is where God Blessed Jacob and changed his name to “Israel” It was a Place of Trial and Testing for Jacob
4. Jacob Wrestled with God at the Jabbok River located in Gilead, Elijah’s hometown. And, it was here “Beyond the Jordan” that God changed Jacob’s name to “Israel” – the name the nation of Israel bears today
Genesis 50:7-10 7 And Joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father's house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company. 10 And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days. KJV
It was here at the Jabbok River in Gilead “Beyond the Jordan” where God revealed Himself to Jacob and because of God’s grace, Jacob’s name no longer means the Supplanter – but now he is known as Israel.
5. The “Galilee”
Not only was Elijah from the Galilee, Elijah was the Prophet to King Ahab, king of the northern kingdom in northern Israel whose capital was in Samaria (the Galilee)
6. Like Christ, Elijah left the Borders of Israel and went into the Borders of Tyre and Sidon, specifically Sidon
As a Reminder, God told Abraham that his seed would possess the gates of their enemies – Genesis 22:17.
And, so it was with Elijah who Possessed the Gate of his Sidonian Enemy, Jezebel.
1 Kings 17:1-10 1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word." 2 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 3 "Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 4 And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there." 5 So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. 7 And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 9 "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you." 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, "Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink." NKJV
Elijah found the widow woman in the “Gate of the City of Sidon” 1 Kings 17:10
1 Kings 17:8-10 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 9 "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you." 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, "Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink." NKJV
The Widow of Zarephath's story begins while she is at the gate gathering' a few sticks so she can go home and prepare the last little bit of food for herself and her son
The Gate indicates that this woman is of great significance in Elijah’s life.
Like Abraham, Elijah stood in the “Gate of his Enemies” – the homeland of Jezebel his mortal enemy – the daughter of a Tyrian Sidonian King and Priest
Zarephath, a City of Sidon, was Located Beyond the Borders of the Land of Israel – Zarephath was a city Located Within the Borders of Tyre and Sidon: It was not just happenstance that God sent Elijah to the widow’s house in Sidon (present-day Lebanon), the hometown of his archenemy Jezebel, when there were many widows in Israel who would have fed Elijah. Nor was it just happenstance that 700 years later that Christ went into the Gentile Borders of Tyre and Sidon in the Galilee of the Gentiles. And, this was the only time that Christ went among the Gentiles when He went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon Mark 7:24-30.
The faith of the widow can be likened to that of the Phoenician woman Christ ministered to in Tyre and Sidon.
The Syrophoenician Woman Laid Claim to the Promises of Israel: One aspect of the historical and spiritual aspects of Tyre and Sidon that will forever bind Tyre and Sidon to the Promised Land as well as the Church is that when Christ went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon and personally ministered to the people in Tyre and Sidon in the Galilee of the Gentiles, the Syrophoenician woman who begged Christ to deliver her daughter from the demonic addressed Christ as Lord, by which she laid claim to the promises of Israel. (Mark 7:24-30)
Likewise the widow woman to whom Elijah was sent also laid claim to the promises of Israel after God raised her son from the dead – 1 Kings 17:24. After Elijah earnestly begged God to allow the soul of the widow’s son who had died to come back, God restored the life of the child. At that moment in time the woman told Elijah that now she knew for sure that he was a man of God and that the word of the Lord in Elijah’s mouth was the truth!
The widow went from declaring that the Lord was Elijah’s God (1 Kings 17:12) to the realization that God’s promises were for both she and her son.
Interestingly, it was the Gentile widow who was the first to acknowledge that Elijah was “A man of God”
God calls Elijah to go to Zarephath where He has commanded a Gentile Widow to provide for him:
1 Kings 17:8-9 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 9 "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you." NKJV
God led Elijah from the dry brook to Zarephath, a Gentile city that belonged to Sidon. One would think this was a challenging move for Elijah to make given that Sidon was in the vicinity where Queen Jezebel was from. It was not just happenstance that God led Elijah into the territory of his sworn enemy.
King Ahab, a king of Israel’s northern kingdom, had formed an alliance with Sidon by marrying Jezebel, a Phoenician princess, the heathen daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians ,who was absolutely determined on murdering all the prophets of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – especially murdering Elijah (1 Kings 18:13; 2 Kings 9:7). Jezebel, who had no fear of God nor His prophets, was the first instigator of persecution against the prophets of God.
1 Kings 19:1-3 1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." 3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. NKJV
Jezebel was Elijah's most powerful, violent and aggressive enemy; yet God hid Elijah in enemy territory – Jezebel’s own country – the least likely place for Elijah to hide. Through Elijah God demonstrated His power in an area where Baal was worshipped.
Elijah was the “First Prophet to the Gentile City of Sidon as well as Samaria and the geographical regions named in Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 9:1-2.
Like Christ, Elijah was rejected by his own people. In fact, Jesus used this example of Elijah’s coming to the widow of Zarephath as an illustration of God’s right to choose a people to Himself. Luke 4:20-27
Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow” Luke 4:24-26.
The faith of the widow can be likened to that of the Phoenician woman Christ ministered to in Tyre and Sidon: In accordance with Isaiah’s prophecy, when Christ lived in the Galilee, citizens from Tyre and Sidon, the prosperous Roman port cities in the Galilee of the Gentiles by the Way of the Sea, who had heard about the many miracles Jesus had performed came from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon to see Him and He healed them of their diseases. Surely, just as the Prophet Isaiah prophesied they were among the first to see the great and glorious Light of Jesus Christ. Isaiah 9:1-2; Mark 3:8; Luke 6:17
Scripture reveals that Jesus even left the borders of Israel and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon where He healed the Canaanite (Syrophoenician) woman's daughter (Mt 15:21-28; Mk 7:24-31). And, this is significant because this is the same geographical area where God sent Elijah where God had commanded a widow to feed Elijah (1 Kings 17:9).
The significance of both the Old and New Testament accounts of both Elijah and Christ’s visits to the region is a reminder that the Promised Land extended as far north as Sidon. Because the Israelites were not able to dislodge the pagans, many Gentiles continued to live in Sidon – the region that was allotted to the Tribe of Asher – hence, The Galilee of the Gentiles.
7. By the “Way of the Sea”
When the Lord told Elijah to return to Damascus and anoint Hazael king over Syria, Elijah would have traveled on the international highway known as by the “Way of the Sea” to reach Damascus.
1 Kings 19:13-15 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 15 And the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. ESV
The “Kings Highway” and the “Way of the Sea” (aka Via Maris that the prophet Isaiah spoke of) were the two international highways that ran through many of the areas in the Galilee that Elijah would have taken on his way from the Galilee to Damascus – both existed during the lifetime of both Elijah and Christ.
8. The Apostle Paul
On his way to Damascus to arrest Christians, the Apostle Paul would have traveled on the “Way of the Sea” from Galilee into Damascus as well. And, it was on the “Road to Damascus” or the “Way of the Sea” to Damascus” when Christ appeared to the great Apostle Paul (Acts 9:1-25).
As a reminder, the “Way of the Sea” was one of the geographical areas the Prophet Isaiah spoke of in Isaiah 9:1-2.
The Apostle Paul testified in front of Felix that “I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect that he was of the sect known as “The Way” – Acts 24:14.
Acts 9:2 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains. NLT
Acts 24:14 14 “But I admit that I follow the Way, which they call a cult. I worship the God of our ancestors, and I firmly believe the Jewish law and everything written in the prophets. NLT
It’s interesting that Jesus, who declared that He was the Way, the Truth and the Life, when travelling throughout the Galilee would have travelled on the international highway known as the “Way of the Sea.” The symbolism is unmistakable.
John 14:6 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. NLT
9. Malachi
Malachi promised God would send Elijah the prophet before the coming “day of the Lord”
Malachi 4:5-6 5 “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the LORD arrives. 6 His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.” NLT
Matthew 11:11, 14 reveals that he was the Elijah that "must first come," the forerunner of Christ Jesus that was announced by Malachi. Interestingly, John the Baptist even dressed like Elijah, so much so that he might be styled a second Elijah. In him we see "the same connection with a wild and wilderness country; the same long retirement in the desert; the same sudden, startling entrance on his work (1Ki 17:1; Luke 3:2); even the same dress, a hairy garment, and a leathern girdle about the loins (2Ki 1:8; Mat 3:4).
So engrained was the belief that Elijah would return that Peter, James and John, even though they were startled, were not surprised that Elijah was at Jesus’ Transfiguration.
10. The Transfiguration
11. Elijah had Crossed over the Jordan River to “Beyond the Jordan” when he was taken up in a chariot of Fire
One might ask, why did Elijah leave the Promised Land and go “Beyond the Jordan” when he was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind of fire (2 Kings 5:5-9)? Technically, Beyond the Jordan was part of the Promised Land because of the three tribes, Gad, Reuben and half the Tribe of Manasseh that settled there.
Certainly God’s whirlwind could have lifted him up just as easily from Bethel or Jericho or from anywhere on the west side of the Jordan River. However, Elijah was from “Beyond the Jordan” and in a sense he went back to whence he came – to the land of Gilead “Beyond the Jordan.
Of course, there is much to be said about the symbolism of the Israelites crossing over the Jordan River.
However, the point I want to make is the connection between the life of Elijah and “Beyond the Jordan,” which brings me to the “Brook Cherith.”
12. The Brook Cherith – where the Raven fed Elijah before he went to the Widow’s House in Sidon – was located “Beyond the Jordan”
1 Kings 17:1-7 1 Now Elijah 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.” 2 And the word of the LORD came to him: 3 “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the LORD. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 7 And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. ESV
Elijah, after Moses, is probably the greatest Old Testament prophet. Like John the Baptist and Christ, he is time and again associated with the geographical regions of Transjordan, more specifically east of the Jordan River, which is known as “Beyond the Jordan.”
Again, the point I want to make is the connection between the life of Elijah and “Beyond the Jordan” where John the Baptist baptized Jesus.
In Conclusion:
The lives of John the Baptist, Elijah and Christ were very closely Connected to the Geographical Regions of the Galilee and the regions “Beyond the Jordan” that the Prophet Isaiah spoke of in Isaiah 9:1-2
John the Baptist came in the “Spirit of Elijah” and both John and Elijah, like Christ, their lives were very closely connected to the geographical regions of the Galilee and “Beyond the Jordan.” And, it was here “Beyond the Jordan,” also referred to as “East of the Jordan,” that John the Baptist baptized Jesus.
John was asked if he was Elijah.
John 1:19-28 19This is the testimony of John [the Baptist] when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20And he confessed [truthfully] and did not deny [that he was only a man], but acknowledged, “I am not the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)!” 21 They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the [promised] Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23He said, “I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” 24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize [only] in water, but among you there stands One whom you do not recognize and of whom you know nothing. 27 It is He [the preeminent One] who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie [even as His slave].” 28 These things occurred in Bethany across the Jordan [at the Jordan River crossing], where John was baptizing. 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! Amplified Bible
Bethany “Beyond the Jordan” River: Notice is taken of the place where John was baptizing and that Jesus came to Bethany to see John. In the context of John 1, given that the Priests and Levites came from Jerusalem to Bethany to talk with John the Baptist, we know that this particular Bethany was “Beyond the Jordan” on the east side of the Jordan – not the hometown of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. This particular Bethany was located, on the east side of the Jordan River, probably the Tribe of Reuben.
The region east of the Jordan river is called the Trans-Jordan, literally "across the Jordan," from the perspective of people living on the west side.
Other Scriptures that reference “Beyond the Jordan”:
Matthew 3:13 13 Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. NLT
Matthew 4:12-15 12 When
He heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee. 13 He
left Nazareth behind and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region
of Zebulun and Naphtali. 14 This was to fulfill what was spoken
through the prophet Isaiah: 15 Land of Zebulun and land of
Naphtali, along the sea road, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the
Gentiles! HCSB Matthew 19:1-2 1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went down to the region of Judea east of the Jordan River. 2 Large crowds followed him there, and he healed their sick. NLT
NKJV reads: “Beyond the Jordan”
Mark 1:5 5 All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. ….. 9 One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. 10 As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” NLT
Mark 3:7-8 7 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea 8 and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him. NKJV
Mark 10:1 1 And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. ESV
Luke 3:3-4 3 Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned to God to receive forgiveness for their sins. 4 Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming! Clear the road for him! NLT
Luke 4:1 1 Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, NLT
John 1:28 28 This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing. NLT
John 3:26 26 So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us.” NLT
John 10:39-42 39 Once again they tried to arrest Him, but He got away and left them. 40 He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptizing and stayed there awhile. 41 And many followed Him. “John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.” 42 And many who were there believed in Jesus. NLT
In this chapter we examined the connection between Isaiah’s Prophecy of the Great Light of the Messiah and Elijah who was present at the Transfiguration of Christ when Christ’s face did shine as the sun, and His garments became white as the Light in the geographical regions of Isaiah’s prophecy.
In the next chapter I want to examine the connection between Balaam, who prophesied over one thousand years before the birth of Christ, about the Star that would rise out of Jacob, and the Wise Men who saw Christ’s Star in the East, which was the fulfillment of Balaam’s prophecy, and the Great Light that Isaiah prophesied would Shine on those living in Spiritual Darkness in the Regions of the North. |