Blessed be the glorious Name of our Lord Jesus Christ forever. Today, we will learn how the Spirit of Elijah operated in the Old Covenant and how it continues to work in the New Covenant.
Many believers today are confused about this topic — especially in this age when countless prophets, both true and false, have risen, many claiming titles such as “Elijah,” “Moses,” or “Major Prophet.” It is therefore crucial to understand this subject clearly so that we may know where to stand.
Let us return to the Scriptures to understand the ministry of Elijah and how it foreshadowed the spiritual work God would later continue. Elijah rose during one of the darkest periods in Israel’s history — under King Ahab, a worshipper of idols, who was heavily influenced by his wife Jezebel, a woman deeply involved in witchcraft and rebellion (1 Kings 16:30–33).
During that time, the prophets of Yahweh were persecuted and forced to hide in caves (1 Kings 18:4). The spiritual decay of the nation was so severe that, had God not raised Elijah, Israel would have perished completely.
God, in His mercy, anointed Elijah and sent him with one main purpose — “to turn the hearts of the people back to God.”
As Scripture records:
1 Kings 18:37–38 “Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.”
Elijah’s fire was not meant for showmanship or personal glory; it was a divine sign to restore faith in Yahweh and bring repentance to Israel. The people immediately responded, crying out:
1 Kings 18:39 “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”
Their hearts were turned back to God — that was the essence of Elijah’s ministry.
After Elijah’s departure, Elisha received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit:
2 Kings 2:9 “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”
This did not mean that Elijah himself entered Elisha; rather, the anointing and mission — to reconcile Israel to God — continued through Elisha.
Centuries later, the prophet Malachi foretold that Elijah’s ministry would return again before “the great and dreadful day of the Lord”:
Malachi 4:5–6 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”
This prophecy did not mean that the physical Elijah would reappear, but that the same Spirit and mission would manifest again — a call to repentance and restoration.
In the New Testament, this prophecy was fulfilled in John the Baptist, as confirmed by the angel Gabriel:
Luke 1:16–17 “He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children… to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
John came not to glorify himself but to prepare the way for Christ (John 1:23). His message was simple yet powerful: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2). His purpose was to direct all attention to Jesus Christ, saying:
John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Thus, the Spirit of Elijah in the New Covenant is the Spirit of repentance and restoration, always pointing hearts toward Christ, not toward men.
After John, that same Spirit continued in the apostles — Peter, Paul, and others — whose central message was always Christ crucified and risen (1 Corinthians 2:2). They turned the hearts of Gentiles and Jews alike back to God through the preaching of the gospel (Acts 26:16–18).
This same Spirit still works in every true servant of God today who preaches Jesus Christ as the only Savior, Lord, and King — not those who exalt themselves or seek fame.
Revelation 19:10 “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
Anyone who preaches or prophesies without exalting Christ, but instead glorifies himself, is a false prophet, no matter the miracles he performs.
1 John 5:9 “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son.”
The true mark of the Spirit of Elijah is this: it leads people to repentance and reconciliation with Jesus Christ — never to self-glorification.
Elijah, Moses, and the prophets all pointed to Jesus Christ, who is the fulfillment of all prophecy.
Hebrews 1:1–2 “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son.”
Therefore, we have no other prophet greater than Jesus Christ — no teacher beyond Him, no shepherd apart from Him.
All true ministers merely reflect His light and point others to Him.
Anyone who claims to have prophetic revelation but does not exalt Jesus Christ is a false prophet, for the Spirit of Elijah — the Spirit of prophecy — always testifies of Christ alone.
Jesus Christ is the Lord of Life. If you have not yet surrendered your life to Him, now is the time. The door of grace is still open, but soon it will close (Matthew 25:10–12).
Repent today, be baptized in His Name for the forgiveness of your sins (Acts 2:38), and receive the Holy Spirit. Then you will become a new creation in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Be blessed in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ..
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