Elijah

=== New Testament ===
[[File:Intesa elijah.jpg|thumb|A Northern Russian icon from ca. 1290 showing the ascent of Elijah toward heaven]]

In the [[New Testament]], [[Jesus]] would say for those who believed, [[John the Baptist]] was Elijah, who would come before the "great and terrible day" as predicted by [[Malachi]].

Some English translations of the New Testament use [[Elias]], a Greek form of the name. In the [[King James Version]], "Elias" appears only in the texts translated from Greek.

==== John the Baptist ====
[[John the Baptist]] preached a message of repentance and baptism. He predicted the day of judgment using imagery similar to that of Malachi. He also preached that the Messiah was coming. All of this was done in a style that immediately recalled the image of Elijah to his audience. He wore a coat of camel's hair secured with a leather girdle.<ref>[[Matthew 3:4]], {{Bibleverse||Mark|1:6|9}}</ref> He also frequently preached in wilderness areas near the Jordan River.

In the [[Gospel of John]], when John the Baptist was asked by a delegation of priests (present tense) "Art thou Elias", he replied "I am not".<ref>{{Bibleverse||John|1:21|9}}</ref> Matthew 11:14 and Matthew 17:10–13 however, make it clear that John was the spiritual successor to Elijah. In the [[Nativity of St. John the Baptist]] in Luke, [[Gabriel]] appears to [[Zechariah (priest)|Zechariah]], John's father, and told him that John "will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God," and that he will go forth "in the spirit and power of Elijah."<ref>{{Bibleverse||Luke|1:16–17|9}}</ref>

[[File:Transfigurationbloch.jpg|thumb|right|Elijah appears at the [[Transfiguration of Jesus]] (as recounted in {{bibleverse||Matthew|17:1–8|NIV}}, {{bibleverse||Mark|9:2–8|NIV}}, {{bibleverse|Luke|9:28–36|NIV}})]]

==== Transfiguration ====
Elijah makes an appearance in the New Testament during an incident known as the [[Transfiguration of Jesus|Transfiguration]].<ref>{{Bibleverse||Matthew|17:1–13|9}}, {{Bibleverse||Mark|9:2–13|9}} and {{Bibleverse||Luke|9:28–36|9}}</ref>

At the summit of an unnamed mount, Jesus' face begins to shine. The disciples who are with Him hear the voice of God announce that Jesus is "My beloved Son." The disciples also see Moses and Elijah appear and talk with Jesus. This apparently relates to how both Elijah and Moses, the latter according to tradition but not the Bible, both were translated to heaven instead of dying. Peter is so struck by the experience that he asks Jesus if they should build three "tabernacles": one for Elijah, one for Jesus and one for Moses.<!-- I know that there has been a tabernacle built, I just need to find a source. -->

There is agreement among some Christian theologians that Elijah appears to hand over the responsibility of the prophets to Jesus as the woman by the well said to Jesus "I perceive thou art a prophet."<ref>John 4:19</ref> Moses also likewise came to hand over the responsibility of the law for the divinely announced [[Son of God]].<ref>Albright, W. F. and C. S. Mann. ''The Anchor Bible: Matthew.'' New York: Doubleday, 1971.</ref><ref>Fitzmyer, Joseph A. ''The Anchor Bible: Luke I–IX.'' New York: Doubleday, 1981.</ref>

==== Other references ====
Elijah is mentioned four more times in the New Testament: in Luke, Romans, Hebrews, and James. In Luke 4:24–27, Jesus uses Elijah as an example of rejected prophets. Jesus says, "No prophet is accepted in his own country," and then mentions Elijah, saying that there were many widows in Israel, but Elijah was sent to one in Phoenicia. In Romans 11:1–6, Paul cites Elijah as an example of God's never forsaking his people (the Israelites). Hebrews 11:35 ("Women received their dead raised to life again...") refers to both Elijah raising the son of the widow of Zarephath and Elisha [[Raising of the son of the woman of Shunem|raising the son of the woman of Shunem]], citing both Elijah and Elisha as Old Testament examples of faith.<ref name="HebrewsGill">{{cite news |last=Gill |first=John |title=Hebrews 11:35 |work=biblestudytools.com |url=http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/hebrews-11-35.html |access-date=25 September 2015}}</ref><ref name="HebrewsHenry">{{cite news |last=Henry |first=Matthew |title=Hebrews 11 |work=biblestudytools.com |url=http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/hebrews/11.html |access-date=25 September 2015}}</ref><ref name="HebrewsJamieson">{{cite news |last=Brown |first=Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David |title=Hebrews 11 |work=biblestudytools.com |url=http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/jamieson-fausset-brown/hebrews/hebrews-11.html |access-date=25 September 2015}}</ref> In James 5:16–18, James says, "The effectual fervent [[prayer]] of a righteous man availeth much," and then cites Elijah's prayers which started and ended the famine in Israel as examples.