I have over the last few months heard two different Pastors completely unaware  of  each other’s sermons preach  almost verbatim, on Elijah the Prophet or more to the point of  what happened with Elijah?
I often became irritated hearing others smirk that Elijah the Prophet of God became “scared of a woman”, first off that is so sexist, people with that attitude should never have the audacity to stand behind a pulpit and that answers what has happened to the churches. But the two I referred to are NOTHING like that and are men of God.
A LOT  happened with Elijah, the great mystery it would seem is how a man used of God, performing miracles, even the prayer granted of resurrection of the dead, and prayed fire down from Heaven to torch his enemies, laughed in the faces of false prophets, yet again praying down “proof” in the fire whose flames even licked up water, with his personal prayer of “If I be a man of God….”
It really had nothing to do with Jezebel, she was just the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back. He had fought and fought and he just simply became tired and discouraged and he was tired of running and having no one who could relate to or understand him and the clincher, he felt completely ineffective and that he had failed miserably to do the job God had called him to do.
1 Kings 19, I’ll hit and miss verse for sake of reading, but please read it for yourself and let the Lord lead you in your conclusion.
Verses four through eight, after he has just been informed that Jezebel is gunning for him, he’s left his servant behind, because as we know all wilderness journeys must be taken solo.

“But he himself went a day’s into the wilderness, and came and sat down UNDER A JUNIPER TREE AND HE  REQUESTED FOR HIMSELF THAT HE MIGHT DIE;AND SAID, IT IS ENOUGH; NOW, O LORD, TAKE AWAY MY LIFE; FOR I AM NOT BETTER THAN MY FATHERS.

And he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an ANGEL touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, AND LAID HIM DOWN AGAIN.

The ANGEL of the Lord came again the SECOND time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; BECAUSE THE JOURNEY IS TOO GREAT FOR THEE. And he arose, and did eat and drink, AND WENT IN THE STRENGTH  OF THAT MEAT (FOOD) FOR FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS unto Horeb the mount of God.”
Ah, the wilderness, even if you leave them all behind, God will never leave you alone there, and he will supply every need you have for every step that you take and these are the places where heaven interacts with earth.
Ever notice how God used a raven, a woman who her and her son was on the brink of starvation and an angel from heaven to feed the Prophet, maybe because no one else would have listened.
He finally ends up in the ever mysterious cave, the word of God came unto him and asked, “What doest thou do here, Elijah?” and Elijah gives him his list of reasons, verse ten
“And he said, I have been very jealous (zealous) for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life to take it away.” Then the Lord told him to go stand on the mountain before him, the Lord passed by and a great wind split the mountains and shattered the rocks, and then came an earthquake, and then a fire, but the Lord was not in any of these. Then after the fire a still small voice, verse thirteen, the SECOND time, “And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And , behold, there came a voice unto him, and said , What doest thou here, Elijah?” Elijah answered exactly as he had the first time.
God never rebuked Elijah, he instructed him as to his next assignments including anointing Elisha to be his replacement.

God did let him know that he did have others who served faithfully and not all had become pagan, once he had done all God required, he did indeed go home:
2nd Kings 2:11: “And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted (separated) them both asunder: and Elijah went up by the whirlwind into heaven.”
Now Elijah went to get the rest he needed and Elisha got double the power of the anointing of God that Elijah had.
So powerful in fact that a dead body just touching his bones came back to life.
You may think well, Elijah never finished his job, well no, he didn’t BUT HE WILL when he is sent back with one of his own, Moses.

Revelation 11:3,4&6 “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These two are the two olive trees and two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. THESE HAVE POWER (AUTHORITY) TO SHUT UP HEAVEN, THAT IT NOT RAIN IN THE DAYS OF THEIR PROPHECY: AND HAVE POWER (AUTHORITY) OVER THE WATERS TO TURN THEM TO BLOOD, AND TO SMITE THE EARTH WITH ALL PLAGUES, AS OFTEN AS THEY WILL.”
Just as they appeared with Jesus at his transfiguration.

They are far from finished! So morale of this story, never kick a person when they are down, until you walk a mile in their shoes, don’t even open your mouth.
“Drop down, ye heavens…..

Reverend Nina Brown Johnson/ baresoulphlogizo 2015