consuming fire

18:25 “Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god but don’t light the fire.” (HCSB)

Elijah continues to weight the contest in the favor of the 450 prophets of Baal. Every possible advantage and edge was conceded to the Baalites. They were clearly the favored contestants here, ready to steamroll over Elijah and his Yahweh. Emphasizing the sheer superiority of their physical numbers, he defers to them to select which bull they wanted, to build their altar first, and then to take whatever time they needed to do their “thing” so that Baal would respond to them. They could take the stage for the first trial that they might, if they could, establish the claims of Baal and their own power, and thus settle the dispute without any further action. The only caveat – again the reminder to not light the fire. This was to be a legitimate test, not rigged as they were likely wont to do. Perhaps for the first time in their history, these false priests were unable to insert the secret fire under the sticks which lay upon their altar.

Elijah takes pains to clearly demonstrate that the deck is stacked against him. He is both confident and is anxious to prove to the people that though every conceivable advantage was systematically in Baal’s favor, Yahweh would demonstrate Himself in an unmistakable and overwhelming display of power.

18:26 “They took the bull and prepared it, and from morning to midday they called on the name of Baal. ‘O Baal, answer us!' they cried, but there was no voice, no answer, as they performed their hobbling dance round the altar which they had made.” (NJB)

From around 9:00 in the morning (estimated) until noon, the prophets of Baal shouted out to Baal to answer them. Imagine the sound of 450 men yelling out the same phrase for three hours. Perhaps they needed to warm up their voices as they began their rituals, but soon all of them would have been in full height of their vocal capacities, fueled by the massive volume of their aggregate yells. When no response was provoked by their continual chanting and yelling, they began dancing up and around their altar in the wild and grotesque ritual dances of the pagan religions.

The same term Elijah used of the people in their hobbling between religions, pāsah (“limp”), is somewhat contemptuously used here to describe the reeling, swaying, bacchantic dance of these priests of Baal. Pagan rituals included a strange form of gyrations and bodily contortions, accompanied by strange and hideous cries, with wild drum beats at times adding to the chaos. Elements of this type of ritual dances can be seen yet today in aspects of the dancing dervishes and Indian devil-worshippers, with the circumambulation (“Tawaf”) of Muslim pilgrims around the Kaaba sacred stone pictured as being “done with a certain ritual-step which is described as resembling dragging the feet in deep sand” (D.B. MacDonald). According to Islamic tradition the first building at the site of the Kaaba, the most sacred location for Muslims, was erected by Abraham. All Muslims around the world face towards Kaaba in prayer five times a day, and one of the Five Pillars of Islam requires every capable Muslim to perform the Hajj pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime. Multiple parts of the Hajj require pilgrims to walk several times around the Kaaba in a counter-clockwise direction, with the most dramatic scenes during the Hajj, when two million pilgrims simultaneously gather to circle the building on the same day.

Round and round the altar the prophets of Baal went in their wild and mystic dance, all the while repeating their monotonous chant, “O Baal hear us, O Baal hear us.” Despite all their zeal and all their calls to Baal, “there was no voice, no answer.” The altar stood cold and smokeless, the bull drying out in the morning sun. The powerlessness of Baal and the folly of his worshippers was beginning to be made fully apparent:

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of man's hands.
They have mouths, but they cannot speak;
They have eyes, but they cannot see;
They have ears, but they cannot hear;
They have noses, but they cannot smell;
They have hands, but they cannot feel;
They have feet, but they cannot walk;
They cannot make a sound with their throat.
Those who make them will become like them, everyone who trusts in them. (Psa 115:4-8)

After describing the powerless idols, note how the Psalmist continues: “O Israel, trust in the LORD.” (vs. 9)

Clearly Satan could have responded to the prophets of Baal and sent fire onto the altar, just as he did on Job’s sheep and shepherds: “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them (Job 1:16). In Revelation, we read that in the end times the second beast, the false prophet of Satan, “performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs” (Rev 13:13-14). But while Satan was given permission by God to torment Job’s (1:12) and to deceive the earth in the future, here he is utterly powerless to respond to the false priests and so deceive the Israelites.

Note for now how there was no voice and no response.

18:27 “And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, ‘Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened’." (ESV)

After three hours of standing by and observing the absurdity and fruitlessness of the wailing and dancing of the prophets of Baal, Elijah interrupts the circuis with advice heavily steeped in mockery. “The worship of idols is a most ridiculous thing, and it is but justice to represent it so and expose it to scorn” (Matthew Henry). “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision” (Psa 2:4, NKJV). “I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon Me, but I will not answer; they shall seek Me early, but they shall not find Me” (Pro 1:26-28).

He goads them on to cry out even louder, for after all, Baal is a god, so therefore it must be a lack on the part of the false priests that there is no response. It was at midday, when the sun was at its highest and hottest point, when these gyrating priests should have had the best opportunity for success. He offers four suggestions as to what may be keeping Baal from attending to their cries: perhaps he is in deep thought or meditating; maybe he has “gone aside” – believed to be a euphemism for visiting the celestial loo; possibly he is on a journey to tend to his commercial interests or maybe hunting (Phoenician sailors believed Baal traveled with them on the Mediterranean Sea and elsewhere, and when the goddess Anat, Baal’s consort, comes to look for him, she is told he has gone hunting); or perhaps he’s like the gods of other religions and is simply sleeping and needs to be roused from his slumbers or beauty sleep (Vishnu sleeps four months out of the year). No matter the reason, clearly he hasn’t heard them, so the Baalites need to ratchet up the decibel to a higher level to get his attention.

While these four suggestions appear ridiculous to our culture and we would conclude this would therefore only offend and infuriate these charlatans, these activities are actually consistent with the mythology of the ancient religions in terms of what the pagans believed preoccupied their gods. So rather than reacting with rage to Elijah’s taunts, the response from the Baalites seems to indicate they considered his suggestions as being quite valid.

18:28 “They shouted loudly, and cut themselves with knives and spears, according to their custom, until blood gushed over them.” (HCSB)

We might think these priests of Baal would have caught on that Elijah was mocking them, yet we see they are so caught up in their own deception that these blind fools actually take his “good advice” and step up their ritual dramatically. “So infatuated and stupid were those devotees of Baal that they do not appear to have discerned the drift of his words, but rather to have regarded them as containing good advice” (Pink). They respond by increasing the fervor of their appeals, working themselves into a frenzy. Heightening the stakes in their ritual to ensure Baal’s attention, they slashed themselves with knives and spears, “until blood gushed over them.” Self-mutilation was believed by the pagans to be the ultimate sign of devotion and affinity to their god, consistent with the barbaric customs of so many pagan religions down through the ages. What poor, miserable slaves are idolaters whose objects of worship can be gratified with human gore and with the self-inflicted torments of their worshippers!

While the Israelites had been strictly forbidden by Yahweh to take part in such cruel and gruesome customs (Deut 14:1), cruelty is a common distinctive of false religions. But what would you expect from a religion that has the devil behind it, for “he has been a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44). Pagan gods are supposed to be appeased and pleased with the blood of humans. Pagan cultures widely believed that if the blood of the sacrifice would not move their gods to action, the blood from their self-inflicted wounds ensured a response from their object of worship. Adopted in violation of God’s commands by the idolatrous Israelites, this was the custom of the ancient nations, and we see it occurring still today.

One writer vividly captures the gruesome rituals of the ancient Syrians: “A discordant howling opens the scene. They then rush wildly about in perfect confusion, with their heads bowed down to the ground, but always revolving in circles, so that the loosened hair drags through the mire; they then begin to bite their arms, and end with cutting themselves with the two-edged swords which they are in the habit of carrying. A new scene then opens. One of them, who surpasses all the rest in frenzy, begins to prophesy with signs and groans; he openly accuses himself of the sins which he has committed, and which he is now about to punish by chastising the flesh, takes the knotted scourge, which the Galli generally carry, lashes his back, and then cuts himself with swords till the blood trickles down from his mangled body.” (Movers: Phönizier, i. pp. 682,683)

The notable Jewish historian, Edersheim writes: “First rose a comparatively moderate, though already wild cry to Baal; followed by a dance around the altar, beginning with a swinging motion to and fro. The howl then became louder and louder, and the dance more frantic. They whirled round and round, ran wildly through each other's ranks, always keeping up a circular motion, the head low bent, so that their long dishevelled hair swept the ground. Ordinarily the madness now became infectious, and the onlookers joined in the frenzied dance. But Elijah knew how to prevent this. It was noon—and for hours they had kept up their wild rites. With cutting taunts and bitter irony Elijah now reminded them that, since Baal was Elohim, the fault it must lie with them. He might be otherwise engaged, and they must cry louder. Stung to madness, they became more frantic than before, and what we know as the second and third acts in these feasts ensued. The wild howl passed into piercing demoniacal yells. In their madness the priests bit their arms and cut themselves with the two-edged swords which they carried and with lances.”

Bishop Caldwell describes the devil-dances of Southern India: “He cuts and hacks and hews himself, and not unfrequently kills himself there and then.” Kitto writes of “the furious gashes which the Persians inflict upon themselves in their frantic annual lamentation for Hussein.”

This latter comment actually reflects the modern day of Ashura, marked by Muslims as a whole, but for Shia Muslims a major religious festival. It is a solemn day mourning the martyrdom of Hussein in 680 AD at Karbala in modern-day Iraq. The killing of Hussein was an event that led to the split in Islam into two main sects: Sunnis and Shias. Day of Ashura in Nabatiyeh is made up of mourning rituals and passion plays re-enacting the martyrdom. Shia men and women dressed in black also parade through the streets slapping their chest and chanting. Many Shia men in Nabatiyeh seek to emulate the suffering of Hussein by flagellating themselves with chains or cutting their foreheads until blood streams from their bodies. They also cut the foreheads of young boys and babies.

18:29 “All afternoon they kept on raving until the offering of the evening sacrifice, but there was no sound; no one answered, no one paid attention.” (HCSB)

The frenzied climax to the ritual dances was the “raving” or the wild utterances, coherent at times and at other times bordering on the animal-like. Considered prophesying by the pagans, hence the reason for these false priests referred to as the prophets of Baal. This demoniacal ritual continued through the afternoon up to the time of the evening sacrifice. Based upon the existing accounts of the Temple times and observances, the daily evening sacrifice, which consisted of a burnt-offering and a meat-offering (Ex 29:38; Num 28:3-8), was offered in the closing hours of the afternoon. The evening sacrifice was offered “between the evenings” – between the going down of the sun and the night-time. This time would be 3:00 by our accounting.

In other words, these Baalists had been going at it from approximately 9:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon – nearly six consecutive hours of yelling and dancing, with two more hours of frenzied mutilations and ravings. They continued in such manner to the middle of the afternoon, when their powers of endurance must have been all but exhausted, greatly weakened by the self-inflicted wounds and the loss of blood. It wouldn’t be surprising if some of them dropped in exhaustion, passed out or perhaps even bled to death.

Consider what that wild and gruesome scene must have been. 450 possessed men shouting and screaming as they dance wildly and hacking or cutting away with knives and spears! It is obvious that their faith in Baal was sincere and profound, though clearly misguided. Making due allowance for the fact that they were under the eyes of their king and patron, and of representatives of the entire people, it is still impossible to doubt their sincerity and intensity: “Of one thing I am assured—the devil-dancer never shams excitement” (Caldwell).

The misguided actions of these prophets of Baal serve to remind us of a very important truth. False religious movements certainly do not lack for zeal. In fact, they often put Christians to shame by their earnestness. The prophets of Baal put on quite a show on Mount Carmel. For some six hours they were loud and long in crying for Baal to answer them, and yet how often do people complain if a church service goes over one hour? Faith and sincerity in religious worship do not insure that one’s worship is acceptable. Earnestness is not the test of validity, and sincerity does not guarantee truth. We must not be like Charlie Brown who lamented after losing a baseball game, “One hundred and eighty-four to nothing. I don't understand it. How can we lose when we're so sincere?”

No one could fault them for not being sincere. No one could deny that they had faith. However, it is not enough to have faith, and it is not enough to be sincere. The problem was that their faith was in the wrong object and they were sincerely wrong! Jesus reminded the Samaritan woman that true worship of God must be “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). The Apostle Paul did not fault the sincerity of his unbelieving Jewish brethren, but pointed out that their zeal alone did not merit salvation: “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God”(Rom. 10:2–3). Tragically, for many “religious” people who conclude that a display of religious zeal and fervor is a real sign of spirituality, “the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” Oh, the blindness of those caught up in false religions and ideologies: “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Cor 4:4, ESV)

Look how in this verse we see once again that there was “no sound; no one answered” – similar to verse 26. However, there is a third ‘no” here that warrants consideration: “no one paid attention.” This no, no, no declaration emphasizes how completely the priests of Baal struck out. They received no response from Baal, no answer to their ravings and mutilations, and here we see they received no regard from “the people, who were now tired out with so long attention and expectation; and therefore more readily deserted them” (Matthew Poole). These false prophets gave the people nothing to cheer about, nothing to rejoice in, nothing to encourage their hopes. How exposed was their futile faith in a powerless god!

Isa 45:16 “They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them; they shall go to confusion together that are makers [and worshippers] of idols.”

Jer 10:5 “Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them for they can do no harm – and they cannot do any good.” (HCSB)

18:30 “Then Elijah said to all the people, ‘Come near me.’ So all the people approached him. Then he repaired the Lord’s altar that had been torn down.”

As the appointed time of the offering of the evening sacrifice at the Temple in Jerusalem drew near, though now in the southern kingdom of Judah, Elijah stepped forward and took charge. He had given nearly six straight hours to the 450 priests of Baal to prove their god could live up to his alleged strengths. That clearly had gone nowhere, expect to leave the false prophets bleeding, exhausted and humiliated.

The ball was now in Elijah’s court. His calm, measured approach contrasted dramatically with the frantic actions of the prophets. Turning his focus once again back to the people, the ones who really mattered to him, he instructs them to come near to him. After enduring six hours of noise, chaos, bloodletting and disappointment, all the people quickly gathered around Elijah, to see if his turn and his God would yield any results.

Note how he wants the people close to him and able to watch his every move, as he goes about rebuilding the altar and making preparations for the sacrifice. Truth always operates fully and openly in the light, as there is nothing to hide, and welcomes observation and eye-witnesses. Truth begs to be examined, investigated, and scrutinized; for when it is, it will shine forth in its glory. As Jesus openly invited: “search the Scriptures because..they testify about Me.” (John 5:39)

Elijah invited the closest scrutiny of the people as he repaired the broken altar of Jehovah. They should be in the nearest proximity so that they might see for themselves there was no trickery, no insertion of any secret fire beneath the wood on which the slain bullock was laid. Furthermore, note how he builds a separate altar, not simply using the one the Baalites had built. There was to be no confusion as to whose God responded to whose prophet and at which altar.

What is this “the Lord’s altar that had been torn down”? This may have been an altar from long ago, dating back to the early history before the Temple or even the tabernacle served as the center of worship to Yahweh. According to the Mosaic law there was only one altar upon which sacrifices might be offered, and that was where the Lord had fixed His peculiar residence, from the days of Solomon, in Jerusalem, and before that the tabernacle. However before the tent of meetings was erected, sacrifices might be offered in any place, and in the previous dispensation altars were built wherever the Patriarchs sojourned for any length of time. That said, this may have been a more recent altar, subsequent to the splintering of the nation of Israel, where the northern followers of Yahweh worshipped, the Temple now being in the southern kingdom. Either way, this undoubtedly was one of the altars that had been “torn down” by the command of Ahab and Jezebel, or one of the other wicked kings of Israel (19:10). It has been suggested that his rebuilding of this altar, vs. erecting a new one, shows him to be the restorer of the law and the true religion: “in the spirit and power of Elijah, turning the hearts of fathers to their children, and wrongdoers to the way of righteousness; to make ready a people whose hearts have been turned to the Lord.” (Luke 1:17, BBE)

18:31-32 “And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, ‘Israel shall be your name.’ Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.” (NKJV)

Though the nation of Israel had been torn in two and 10 of the tribes had followed the way of Baal, the Lord, in whose name the altar was being rebuilt, still remained faithful as the covenant Yahweh who had originally given to them their name – Israel. As a people they should have remained as one in the worship of the God of Israel, having communion with each other as brothers, which indeed they (the tribes) were. The invocation of the name of their father Jacob by the name of Israel (“a prince with God”) was a rebuke to shame his degenerate seed, who worshipped a god which they saw could not hear nor answer them. False religions divide, they put a great division between God and man, and they also break up sanctified relationships of man with man. But true religion unites. It brings people together through the common bond of fellowship in the Lord. The twelve stones would have also been a sharp slap in the face of Ahab.

After rebuilding the altar, he does something rather curious – something he had not instructed the prophets of Baal to do. Imagine what would have been going on in theirs and the peoples’ minds as he digs a sizeable trench all around the altar. The trench was large enough to accommodate “two seahs of seed.” One seah was considered a standard measure for seed, and two seahs was the third of an ephath. In equivalency to our terms, two seahs equal roughly 11-13 quarts, so roughly four gallons or a third of a bushel of seed (1 bushel = 32 quarts). Now four gallons of seed would not amount to much space to dig around the trench, particularly given the amount of water that would be poured over the altar later in this narrative. It is likely that the trench was large enough to “house” a standard container that would typically hold two measures of seed: the “well-known measure of a double seah fixing the depth and breadth of the trench.” This would be then similar to our indicating the trench was deep and wide enough to hold a 4-gallon container.

18:33-35 “Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood. He said, ‘Fill four water pots with water and pour it on the offering to be burned and on the wood.’ Then he said, ‘A second time!’ and they did it a second time. And then he said, ‘A third time!’ and they did it a third time. So the water ran all around the altar; he even filled the trench with water.” (HCSB)

In compliance with the Mosaic Law (Lev 1:3-9), Elijah “arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood.” Consider that this was a bullock being sacrificed, meaning that this a burnt offering. What is the significance of such a sacrifice? A bullock was a sin offering. It recognized the sinfulness of man and the need for the mercy of God. How appropriate this was in the case of Israel. Sin was the problem in the land of Israel, and God's mercy was desperately needed to forgive the people and heal the land. A bullock was also on Baal's altar, but it was Elijah who directed that the bullocks should be on both altars. While the significance of the specific steps and meaning behind the sacrifice may have been lost on the apostate Israelites, see how strictly Elijah holds to the commandments of the Lord.

The adherence to the Mosaic Law aside for the moment, the arranging of the wood and bull would not have been remarkable to the people. However, his next instruction must have completely caught them off guard, far more than digging a trench around the altar. Imagine again what must have been going through everyone’s minds as the three-fold trek for water was ensuing. How the air must have been taut with tension and bewilderment!

Once the altar and the trench had been completed inundated and saturated with 12 containers of water, could there have been any doubts as to whether or not Elijah was secretly playing with fire? Could he possibly do anything else to cement the impossibility of the situation against him and Yahweh? If the 450 prophets of Baal couldn’t ignite dry wood during the heat of the day, what possibly could the lone Elijah do to start a fire when everything was completed soaked? It was obvious in this contest that the circumstances were being arranged so Baal would have every advantage compared to Yahweh. They offered their sacrifice first, they had the advantage of the heat of the day to kindle fire on the altar, they greatly outnumbered Yahweh’s one prophet, and their opponent's altar was drenched with water.

Isn’t this just like the Lord, the God of the impossible? How we panic when things seem to slip out of our control, yet when our Father in heaven is the Lord of the impossible, why do we strive so hard to keep things within our control? Wouldn’t it be far better to leave things in His omnipotent hands? “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matt 19:26; Mark 10:27)

Consider the story of another impossible sacrifice. Recall how Isaac as his father Abraham, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham’s response? “God Himself will provide” (Gen 22:7-8). Here we see that the bull and the wood was present, and God would once again provide – this time the fire.

Note again here the significance of 12, reinforcing the representation of the 12 tribes. The containers were likely the large water pitchers typically carried by the women, and the water was undoubtedly from the spring (“Elijah’s Spring”) just a couple hundred steps from the altar.

18:36-37 “At the time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said, ‘Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that at Your word I have done all these things. Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people will know that You, Yahweh, are God and that You have turned their hearts back’.” (HCSB)

Notice the unusual designation here for Elijah. While historically he is commonly referred to as “the prophet Elijah,” in 1 Kings he’s typically referred to as the Tishbite or “man of God.” The significance here is to clearly highlight the prophet of the living God from the phony prophets of the false god.

Look closely at Elijah’s prayer. He begins by clearly addressing the Lord by His proper name and the designation He had given to Moses. This formulaic description had only once before been used, and that by God Himself at the burning bush – when He appeared as a flaming fire. Also, see how the “Israel” is purposefully inserted for Jacob. This not only proclaims the Lord as the heavenly “God of Israel,” but it additionally emphasizes that “Israel” was the name that was given not to individual tribes, but to the earthly father of one nation. In case the stiff-necked Israelites hadn’t caught on yet, Elijah not only starts with the Lord’s name, he emphasizes it two more times in his short prayer. There was to be absolutely no confusion as to who is Lord!

Without the six hours of shouting, raving, and any of the theatrics of his adversaries, Elijah prays personally, simply, and shortly – only sixty-three words in the English translation and fewer still in the Hebrew. What a contrast is this from the Baalites, as well as some of the long drawn-out and wearisome prayers of some people and pulpits today! “Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.” (Eccl 5:2, ESV)

Elijah’s prayer was a simple one, but it was a prayer of faith. There was no screaming or shouting, no frenzied cultic dancing, no vain repetition of the same words uttered for hours, no mutilation, no show. Truth, simplicity and faith – how does that type of prayer fit with what we see, or don’t see in our churches and lives today? He addressed the Lord as one addresses another living person, and he humbly makes four petitions, all four ones we must incorporate into our prayers and lives:

1) The glory of God. The Israelites wanted rain, but Elijah wanted God to receive the glory. It was not rain first, but God's glory first. The reason for their problems was that God was not first. In our lives and prayers may we seek His glory first, just as the one whom we follow seeks God’s glory first: “I seek not My own glory” (John 8:50).

2) Testimony – Elijah wanted everyone to know Who he served, Who was his God. Clearly this was a hostile environment, but he wanted his testimony to be sure.

3) The Word of God – Elijah wanted the people to understand the significance of the Word of God, and to know the importance of adhering to God’s word.

4) Elijah prayed for the people. He didn’t criticize them for being fools to follow Baal. He didn’t ask for the fire to fall on them in judgment. He had compassion on them. God had chosen the Israelites to be His people. As the servant of God, who was Elijah to dismiss or disregard them? Grace, mercy and love have been freely extended towards us – as followers of Christ, may we be like-minded towards others. Note how the text is written in the past tense. Elijah was so convinced and certain of God’s actions and that His will is done, the turning back of the people in his mind and prayer is already done. How confident and faith-filled is his prayer!

18:38 “Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.”

There was no need for six hours. In immediate response to Elijah’s simple yet passionate prayer for God’s glory and His people, the Lord made His presence known in no uncertain fashion. The storm gods of the ancient Near East are typically equipped with lightning bolts that are their means of sending fire. Assyrian kings spoke of the gods as a burning flame and of sending fire before them. Fire brought about by these thunderbolts was one of the principal weapons of the gods. “Our God is a consuming fire” (Heb 12:29), and when He made His presence known, there was no longer any doubts as to His true identity and the lack thereof for Baal. All four of Elijah’s petitions were answered in one fell swoop of God’s holy fire.

Notice the amazing facts of this consuming fire, so simply and succinctly spelled out:

1) The fire came down from heaven.
2) The pieces of the sacrifice were first consumed.
3) The wood next, to show that it was not even by means of the wood that the flesh was burned.
4) The twelve stones were also consumed, to show that it was no common fire, but one whose agency nothing could resist.
5) The dust, the earth of which the altar was constructed, was burned up.
6) The water that was in the trench was, by the action of this fire, entirely evaporated.
7) The action of this fire was in every case downward, contrary to the nature of all earthly and material fire, and nothing could withstand it.

Elijah’s prayer had lasted less than a minute, yet consider the power and results in response to his simple, faith-filled petition! Nothing could have so clearly demonstrated Yahweh's supreme power over fire, water, and rain – a very deliberate repudiation of Baalism, and by extension, every other false religion in this world. “Where moments before an altar and sacrifice had stood shining in the sun, there now remained only a burned, fire-blackened depression in the scorched soil” (Phillip Keller).

What great evidence that Yahweh is God! What a great demonstration of the power and glory of Yahweh!

18:39 “When all the people saw it, they fell facedown and said, ‘Yahweh, He is God! Yahweh, He is God’!” (HCSB)

Could there be any other response? There could no longer be any doubt as to the existence and the omnipotence of Yahweh. There could no longer be any deception as to who is God. They saw it with their own eyes. They had long delayed the glory due unto the Lord, this is only one small preview of what will one day be universal acclaim: “every knee shall bow and every tongue confess” (Rom 14:11; Phil 2:10).

the stage

Before we continue with the narrative, let’s take a closer look at the stage for this dramatic and defining showdown. Mount Carmel is located south of the modern port city of Haifa, the third largest city in Israel. Despite its name, Mount Carmel is not a single mountain but actually a long range of hills, Carmel Ridge, which extends inland from the Bay of Acre (Akko) on the Mediterranean Sea southeasterly into the Jezreel (Yizreel) Valley. By most accounts Mount Carmel typically refers to the northwestern-most portion of the range, approximately 12 miles, with the general length of the range extending roughly 30 miles and overlapping into the hills of Samaria. Throughout the length of Carmel Ridge are a number of summits, which are intersected by hundreds of large and small ravines. Mount Carmel juts up sharply as a promontory nearly 500 feet over the Mediterranean, and four miles south of the coast it achieves its highest peak of 1,740 feet.

While a look from the northern or outer side shows only bald, monotonous rocky ridges, scantily covered with short and thorny bushes, the interior still preserves its ancient glory, which had procured for it the name of “God’s Vineyard.” “No spot in Palestine is more beautiful, more bracing, or healthful than Carmel” (Edersheim), with the valleys a scene of unsurpassed beauty, being covered with the most beautiful flowers in Palestine seemingly growing in this favored garden: crocuses, narcissus, pink cistus, daisies, wild tulips, dark red anemones, pink phlox, cyclamen, purple stocks, marigolds, geranium, and pink, yellow, and white rock-roses. Its heights are adorned with myrtles, laurels, oaks, and firs, all fed by the numerous springs found there.

In the Old Testament it became a symbol of beauty and fruitfulness: “Your head crowns you like Carmel” (SoS 7:5). “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon” (Isa 35:1-2).

Geographically, the Mount Carmel range forms a crucial physical boundary from the coast of the Mediterranean southeast toward ancient Megiddo, dividing the coastal plain of Palestine into the Plain of Acco to the north and the plains of Sharon and Philistia to the south. Dating back to 7,000 B.C., legendary city state Megiddo was a site of great importance in the ancient world, due to its location at the crossroads of several major trade routes, as well as being the gateway of a narrow pass and the ancient trade route which connected the lands of Egypt and Assyria. It was strategically located at the head of the southern pass through the Carmel Ridge, overlooking the lush Valley of Jezreel (Hebrew for “God Sows”) or the Plain of Esdraelon (ehz-DRAY-lehn) (Greek) or the Plain of Megiddo. A large plain about twenty miles long and fourteen miles wide, the Jezreel Valley was an important avenue of trade and communications, with the ancient Kishon River flowing through the valley along the base of Mount Carmel, and emptying into the Mediterranean Sea.

Standing guard over this crucial trade and communications route, the Carmel range has been a mecca for many religions throughout history. Extending back to the 15th century B.C. and Pharaoh Thutmose III, Carmel is likely the holy mountain he referenced as being in the vicinity of Acco. During Hellenistic times Mount Carmel remained a place of worship where a Temple to Zeus stood on the mountains. There was also an altar and an oracle there with inscriptions found mentioning a cult of Zeus. Pythagoras allegedly visited the mountain on account of its reputation for sacredness, claiming that it was “the most holy of all mountains, and access was forbidden to many,” while Tacitus states that there was an oracle situated there, which Vespasian visited for a consultation. Tacitus claimed that there was an altar there, though it is uncertain as to what religion or god it was intended. Mount Carmel is still considered a sacred place today by many faiths: Jews, Christians, Catholics, Muslims, Druze and Baha’i; and in 2005 the remains of what may be the oldest church in the Holy Lands was uncovered in the area of Megiddo. Possibly dating back to the 3rd Century A.D., among the discoveries was a large mosaic (54 square meters) with a Greek inscription stating that the church was consecrated to “the God Jesus Christ.”

In addition to its significant religious history, Carmel ridge and the low hills around Megiddo, with their outlook over the Plain of Esdraelon, have witnessed perhaps a greater number of bloody encounters than have ever stained a like area of the world's surface. Hardly an equal area of earth can so often have been drenched with the blood of men. Here on this “great battlefield of Palestine,” the legendary Egyptian Thutmose III fought the confederate princes of Syria and Palestine, attacking the city of Megiddo in 1478 B.C. The first documented battle in recorded history outside of the Bible, this battle is described in great detail in the ancient hieroglyphics found on the walls of his temple in Upper Egypt.

Much of the fighting during the wars of the Hebrews transpired within the circle of these hills, the scene of many never-to-be-forgotten battles. It was here the descendants of Joseph, the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, first encountered the Canaanite chariot kings (Josh 17:16), who built up the strategic cities of Taanach, Megiddo, and Bethshan. During the period of the Judges Deborah led the Israelites to victory over Sisera (Judg 4:7; 5:21) and Gideon likewise during his tenure as a judge over Israel: “Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east assembled themselves; and they crossed over and camped in the valley of Jezreel” (6:33).

While the scene of several victories for Israel, it was also here King Saul and armies were defeated, with Saul and his three sons, including Jonathan, lost on Mt. Gilboa (1 Sam 31:1-7). Not long after Elijah prophesied Jehu would destroy Ahab’s family, Jehu caught up to Ahaziah (Ahab’s son) and killed him at Megiddo, whereupon he went to Jezreel to command Jezebel be thrown to her death (2 Kgs 9). However, it was this same Jehu who would at this very location pay tribute to appease Assyrian king Shalmaneser III in 841 A.D. Here also King Josiah foolishly ignored the words of the Lord and fell in battle against Pharaoh Neco “in the Plain of Megiddo” (2 Chr 35:22).

In the first chapter of the apocryphal book of Judith we read about the battles of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, against Arphaxad, king of the Medes. When Arphaxad and his armies were wiped out, Nebuchadnezzar sent his general Holofernes into Palestine, where he and his invading army of “one hundred and twenty thousand infantry and twelve thousand cavalry, not to mention the baggage train with the vast number of men on foot” met the Israelites on the Plain of Esdraelon (Judith 7:1-18).

Here also was the disastrous march of Napoleon Bonaparte from Egypt into Syria. “Jews, Gentiles, Saracens, Crusaders, Frenchmen, Egyptians, Persians, Druses, Turks, and Arabs, warriors out of every nation which is under heaven, have pitched their tents in the plain, and have beheld the various banners of their nations wet with the dews of Tabor and Hermon” (Dr. Clark). In more recent history, the most significant conflict here was the decisive Battle of Megiddo in September, 1918, the culminating victory for the conquest of Palestine by the British forces under General Edmund Allenby, during World War I. Allenby’s armies made a massive push into the Jezreel Valley from the west, through the Carmel Ridge, then engulfed the Ottoman forces in the valley. The significance of this battle will carry tremendous weight perhaps forever, as it was this decisive victory that allowed for the formation of the British oversight of Palestine, from which the State of Israel gained its independence. It is tremendously fitting that here should be the battle that ultimately led to Israel’s independence.

From the Carmel Ridge to the low hills of Megiddo, the Jezreel Valley has become a poetic expression for terrible and final conflict. The Hebrew term for “hills of Megiddo” is Harmagedōn (ar-mah-gehd-DOHN), or as translated into the Greek: Armageddon. It is here that the penultimate battle, the apocalyptic Armageddon will be waged, when the Lord will once-and-for-all deliver the Jewish remnant from the consolidated Gentile world powers, led by the three demon spirits who come from the mouths of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet (Rev 16:13-16).

Looking back to our study on the life of Elijah, Mount Carmel was the approximate geographic border of Israel and Phoenicia, and as such, it was a fitting site for the spiritual contest between the Phoenician god Baal and Yahweh, the God of Israel. Add to that the confluence of tremendous religious history and battles without number, this location was indeed the appropriate stage for the showdown between the prophets of Baal and Elijah. However, Mount Carmel would not offer a fair footing for both. The translation of Carmel, Kerem-El “vineyard of God,” is actually misleading to most of us. Given the location in Israel, we would automatically assume El here refers to Yahweh, the God of Israel. However, we must recall elohîm was the generic term by the pagans for gods or other deities, and El was the name given to their head god, the father of Baal. To the Canaanites, Carmel was an ancient high and holy place, long associated with the worship and religious rites of the Canaanites. There is evidence that the Carmel range was regarded by the Phoenicians as being the sacred dwelling place of Baal, and therefore a traditional site for the worship of Baal. In other words, the significantly outnumbered Elijah intentionally stacks the deck further yet in favor of Baal, giving the prophets of Baal the supreme home field advantage. Recall here the ancient belief that the gods were strongest on their “home turf.”

Where on Mount Carmel did this contest take place? Towards the eastern end of the range, overlooking the valley, stands a peak rising 1687 feet above sea level. Bearing an Islamic name, a strong testament to the high regard Muslims hold for Elijah, this third highest peak in the Carmel range is called El-Maharrakah or El-Mahrakah or El-Murahkah, meaning “The Burning” or “Place of Burning.”

Carel Willem Meredith van de Velde, is believed to be the first traveler (1852) who identified the site of the “Burning.” “There is not a more conspicuous spot on all Carmel than the abrupt, rocky height of El Murahkah… one can scarcely imagine a spot better adapted for the thousands of Israel to have stood drawn up on than the gentle slopes. The rock shoots up in an almost perpendicular wall of more than 200 feet in height on the side of the vale of Esdraelon. On this side, therefore, there was no room for the gazing multitude; but, on the other hand, this wall made it visible over the whole plain, and from all the surrounding heights, so that even those left behind, who had not ascended Carmel, would still have been able to witness the fire from heaven that descended upon the altar.”

The plateaus could not have been better adapted for possibly thousands of Israelites to have stood drawn up on the western side of El-Mahrakah, while sheer drop-off over the plain made the fire which descended from Heaven onto the altar visible over the entire length of the plain and from all the surrounding heights. This natural platform, raised 1000 feet over the plain, would have afforded a clear view of the fire from Heaven, so that those who hadn’t ascended Carmel would still have been able to witness this dramatic sign, with the site visible even as far away as Nazareth, some 20 miles away. While Jezebel wasn’t at the scene, if she had been looking from her palace in Jezreel, she also would have been able to see the fire come down.

The plateau had “a rocky surface, with a sufficiency of large fragments of rock lying all around [to build an altar], and, besides, well fitted for the rapid digging of a trench [around Elijah’s altar].” In verses 34 and 35 Elijah instructs the people to pour a substantial amount of water over his altar. After three-and-a-half years of drought, where would they have found so much water? We know from verse 40 that after the contest Elijah has the people take the prophets of Baal down to the Kishon River and has them all killed. “Nowhere does the Kishon run so close to Mount Carmel as just beneath el Mohraka.” Interestingly, the modern name for the ancient Kishon is Nahr el Mukutta‘, translated, “the river of slaughter.” According to tradition, the Baal prophets were slaughtered near a small hill on the banks of the Kishon River and thus it was named Tel-Kasis, the “Priests' Mound.”

However, there was no need for the people to make the 1000-foot ascent, carrying water from the Kishon to the plateau. No more than 250 below this platform is another plateau where at the edge of a sleep slope there is a vaulted and very abundant natural spring that is filled with water, even in the driest season. “From such a fountain alone could Elijah have procured so much water at that time. And as for the distance between this spring and the supposed site of the altar, it was every way possible for men to go thrice thither and back again to obtain the necessary supply.” According to Josephus (Ant. viii. 13, 5), this fountain was the source of the water, and today it is referred to as “the well [fountain] of Elijah.”

In verses 42 and 43 Elijah climbs up from the Kishon “to the top of Carmel” and instructs his servant to look out to the sea. This detail lends further credibility to El-Murahkah as the setting for this contest, as it is the only point of all Carmel where Elijah could have been close enough to the brook Kishon so as to be able to take the priests of Baal and have them slain, and climb to the summit and pray for rain, all in the short space of the same afternoon. Furthermore, this location is so situated, that “the summit…commands the last view of the sea behind and the first view of the great plain in front” (Stanley). While the sea is not visible from the plateau where the altars were, it can be easily seen from a point some 300 feet higher, coinciding perfectly with the details of verses 42-43.

Today, on Keren-Carmel (“horn of Carmel”) stands a small monastery belonging to the Carmelite Order, which commemorates the victory of Yahweh and Elijah over Baal and his 450 prophets. In the Arabic referred to as Dir el-Muhrak (“the monastery of the place of burning”), tradition has it that the fire that rained down from Heaven occurred in this exact location. In the front yard of this monastery is an impressive statue of the bearded prophet Elijah standing high on a pedestal, with a large knife raised over his head, in the act of slaying a prophet of Baal. An inscription describes the remarkable showdown that took place atop this mountain. This statue of Elijah is not the original, as the former statue was broken by Kaukaji, leader of “the Arab Liberation Army,” during Israel’s War of Independence in 1948. Incidentally, this mountain constitutes a pilgrimage site for special units of the IDF that choose to climb the mountain on foot as part of their ritual.

On the northwestern, opposite end of Carmel range, directly above the Mediterranean Sea, stands a lighthouse and the Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery, a 19th Century monastery dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus, in her aspect of Star of the Sea. According to Catholic tradition a star is used at times to symbolize Mary, as one who enlightens and as the forerunner of Christ: “she is the dawn, Christ the Rising Sun.” The basis for her title “Star of the Sea” is from 1 Kgs 18:41-45, where the presence of the little cloud appearing over the sea is a sign of hope, implying that rain will come and free the land from drought. The little cloud, “as small as a man's hand,” seen from Mt. Carmel is believed to be the “Star of the Sea” – meaning Mary, thus, the sign of hope which announces freedom and renewal. Accordingly, the Carmelite order is considered by the Catholic Church to be under the special protection of Mary, and thus has a strong Marian devotion.

The Order of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel or Carmelites, was traditionally associated with St. Bertold as the founder. He is believed to have been a pilgrim or a crusader, who died at some unknown point after 1185. Few clear records of early Carmelite history have survived and it is generally believed now that the order likely began in the 12th century, during the Crusader occupation of the region. Groups of religious hermits began to inhabit the caves of Mount Carmel, Mar Elyas (St. Elijah), in imitation of Elijah, who, according to tradition, is believed to have lived for a time in a cave under the monastery. The region of Mount Carmel, reverently referred to as, abounds with caves, with approximately 2,000 counted and mapped thus far. These caves have been inhabited by prehistoric man, fugitives and Christian hermits, some of which have many wall paintings from ancient times.

According to tradition both Elijah and Elisha temporarily lived in these grottos. Elijah lived and meditated there before defeating the pagan prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel; hid there when fleeing the wrath of King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel; and established his school of prophets there upon his return from exile. The religious hermits who first gathered there claimed to have succeeded the school of the prophets. Though there are no certain records of hermits on this mountain before the 1190s, by this date a group of men had gathered at the well of Elijah. Within a century, these monastic hermits were organized into the Carmelite order and the Carmelite order spread throughout Europe, flourishing during the Middle Ages.

Prefixed to the Carmelite Constitution of 1281 was the claim that from the time when Elijah and Elisha had dwelt devoutly on Mount Carmel, priests and prophets, Jewish and Christian, had lived praiseworthy lives in holy penitence adjacent to the site of the fountain of Elijah, in an uninterrupted succession. This statement is extremely important to the Carmelite teaching, as it directly ties to the promises given by Mary. According to a pious tradition Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock in Cambridge, England on Sunday, June, 16, 1251. In answer to his appeal for help for his oppressed Carmelite order, she appeared to him with a brown scapular in her hand and said: “Take, beloved son, this scapular of thine order as a badge of my confraternity and for thee and all Carmelites a special sign of grace; whoever dies in this garment, will not suffer everlasting fire. It is the sign of salvation, a safeguard in dangers, a pledge of peace and of the covenant.” It is widely believed that this remains a reliable pious tradition; in other words, that St. Simon Stock was given certain supernatural assurances.

One of the oldest scapulars in Catholicism and other sacramental religions or denominations, the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel refers to both the two specific, yet related, Sacramentals: the monastic and devotional scapulars, although both forms may simply be referred to as “scapular” (from the Latin scapula or “shoulder”). In many case, both forms of the scapular come with a set of promises for the faithful who wear them. Some of the promises are rooted in tradition, and others have been formally approved by religious leaders. For instance, for Roman Catholics, as for some other sacramentals, over the centuries several popes have approved specific indulgences for scapulars, fueled in large part by the tradition of the appearance of Mary to St. Simon.

Colloquially referred to today as a “habit” or “robe,” the monastic scapular now forms the standard part of the attire of monks and nuns of many orders and religions. The devotional scapular is a much smaller item and evolved from the monastic scapular. These may also be worn by individuals who are not members of a monastic order and the Roman Catholic Church considers them sacramentals. The devotional scapular typically consists of two small (usually rectangular) pieces of cloth, wood or laminated paper, a few inches in size which may bear religious images or text. These are joined by two bands of cloth and the wearer places one square on the chest, rests the bands one on each shoulder and lets the second square drop down the back.

Special protection by Mary is believed to be extended to the Carmelite order and for all those wearing the Carmelite habit in honor of Mary throughout life. Indirectly, this promise is granted to all who from devotion to Mary should wear her habit or badge, and thus be affiliated with the Carmelite Order. The first privilege Mary grants to those wearing her Brown Scapular is eternal salvation, if they wear it constantly until death, such that they should be preserved from hell. A second privilege of the scapular, historically known as the Sabbatine privilege, states that through her special intercession, on the Saturday following their death, Mary will personally liberate and deliver the souls of devotees out of Purgatory. The Carmelite Order today, while still encouraging a belief in Mary's general aid and prayerful assistance for their souls beyond death, and commending devotion to Mary especially on Saturdays which are dedicated to her, no longer promulgate the Sabbatine privilege. Carmelites refer to Mary as Our Lady of Mount Carmel in honor of this legend, and celebrate a feast day dedicated to her in this aspect on July 16. Two of the more well-known followers of this order are St. Teresa of Ávila and St. John of the Cross, both Spanish saints.

The Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery is an important shrine to many religions, and directly below the altar is Elijah’s Grotto, believed to be the oldest and most acknowledged cave where Elijah lived. The Stella Maris is a beautiful structure, with Italian marble so brightly and vividly patterned that visitors sometimes think the walls have been painted. Colorful paintings on the dome, done by Brother Luigi Poggi (1924-28), depict episodes from the Old Testament, the most dramatic being the scene of Elijah swept up in a chariot of fire. The statue of the Virgin Mary, carved from cedar of Lebanon, is also notable.

Elijah’s Grotto lies at the foot of Mount Carmel, in the vicinity of the beach of Haifa. This cave bestows Haifa its religious significance in the eyes of Jews, Christians, Muslims and Druze alike. The walls of the cave are covered in writings left by pilgrims who visited the place, including one believed to be left by a Roman soldier named Germanous. Some researchers assert that the cave was used in the old days as an abode for the oracle of the God of Carmel, and tradition also holds that this same cave was shelter for the Holy Family (Mary, Joseph and Jesus) in their escape from Herod and on their return from Egypt.

A domed chapel enshrines the cave, which is underneath the main altar. Many little votive candles burn on this altar above the cave, each representing a Carmelite community in another country (the United States has its candle up on the left). The cave itself also has a small altar. Pilgrimages and great ceremonies are held at this cave many times each year, and thousands of pilgrims tend to attribute magical qualities and healing powers to the cave, and take many vows in this location. A walkway outside the monastery leads to the entrance to the cave. Head coverings must be worn in the cave, available for pilgrims at the entrance. Inside the door are two separated sides - for males on the right side, and for females on the left side. The right wing is for the male visitors, who come to pray in the cave, but there is also a general room open to both men and women, with an enclosure where the women may pray as well.

Though there is precious little in terms of historical sources to identify the place as the cave of Elijah, and identification is based on a very old tradition, this site is sacred to Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Druze, all of whom venerate the prophet Elijah. The founders of the Carmelite Order were expelled by the Mamluk conquest in 1291, and the monastery frequently changed hands, becoming a mosque when under Islamic control. In 1799 the building was converted into a hospital by Napoleon during his unsuccessful siege of Acre (Akko), but in 1821 the pasha of Damascus, a high ranking official in the Ottoman Empire, destroyed the surviving structure. The construction of what is now the present monastery and basilica was begun in 1836, there was a mosque here until 1948. The Muslims referred to the cave as el-Hadra – “the green,” a name attributed to Elijah the green prophet and eternal invigoration. After the War of Independence, the cave was returned to Jewish hands to be maintained by the Authority for Holy Sites.

Today two large Druze villages are situated on Mount Carmel. The Druze religion is an offshoot of the Islam faith from about 1000 A.D. The Druze people speak Arabic, live also in the hills of Galilee and the Golan Heights, and have good relations with the Jews of Israel. Accordingly, they are often persecuted by the Muslims as heretics and friends of the enemies. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has its largest Israeli mosque on Mount Carmel, known as the Mahmood Mosque.

Mount Carmel is also considered a sacred place for the Baha’i faith, and is the location of the Baha’i World Centre and the Shrine of the Báb. The Baha’i faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh (Arabic for “Glory of God”), born Mírzá Husayn-`Alí Nuri, in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Baha’i’s around the world in more than 200 countries and territories Baha’i teachings emphasize the underlying unity of the major world religions. Religious history is seen to have unfolded through a series of divine messengers, each of whom established a religion that was suited to the needs of the time and the capacity of the people. In Baha’i belief, each messenger taught of the next, and Bahá'u'lláh's life and teachings fulfill the end-time promises of previous scriptures. Humanity is understood to be involved in a process of collective evolution, and the need of the present time is for the gradual establishment of peace, justice and unity on a global scale. These messengers have included Abraham, the Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad and others, including most recently Bahá'u'lláh, who himself was preceded by another messenger: the Báb.

Siyyid Ali Muhammad was the founder of Bábism, and one of three central figures of the Baha’i Faith. He was a merchant from Shíráz, Persia, who at the age of twenty-four claimed to be the promised Mahdi. According to the Shia and Sunni versions of the Islamic eschatology the Mahdi (“Guided One”) is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on the earth seven, nine, or nineteen years (depending on the interpretation) before the coming of the day Yaum al-Qiyamah (“Day of the Resurrection” or “Day of the Standing”). Muslims believe the Mahdi will rid the world of error, injustice and tyranny alongside Jesus. The concept of the Mahdi is not explicitly mentioned in the Quran nor in other Sunni writings, which only mention the second coming of Jesus. Accordingly, many orthodox Sunnis question the Mahdist beliefs of the Shias.

After Siyyid’s declaration he took the title of Báb (Arabic for “Gate”), composed hundreds of letters and books (often termed tablets) in which he stated his messianic claims and defined his teachings, and established a new Shari'ah or religious law. His movement eventually acquired tens of thousands of supporters, was virulently opposed by Iran's Shia clergy, and was suppressed by the Iranian government, leading to thousands of his followers, termed Bábís, being persecuted and killed. In 1850 the Báb was shot by a firing squad in Tabríz.

Baha’i claim that the Báb was also the return of Elijah and John the Baptist, that he was the "Ushídar-Máh" referred to in the Zoroastrian scripture, and that he was the forerunner of their own religion. Bahá'u'lláh was a follower of the Báb and claimed to be the prophetic fulfillment of Bábism; but in a broader sense claimed to be a “supreme Manifestation of God,” referring to the fulfillment of the eschatological expectations of Islam, Christianity, and other major religions. Bahá'u'lláh taught that humanity is one single race and that the age has come for its unification in a global society. His claim to divine revelation resulted in persecution and imprisonment by the Persian and Ottoman authorities, and his eventual 24-year confinement in the prison city of `Akko, where he died.

Before he died, Bahá'u'lláh had designated in the Tablet of Carmel the precise location on Mount Carmel where the Shrine of the Báb was to be located. This Shrine is the structure where the remains of the Báb were laid to rest on March 21, 1909 in a six-room mausoleum made of local stone. The construction of the shrine with a golden dome was completed over the mausoleum in 1953, and a series of decorative terraces around the shrine, referred to as the Arc on account of their physical arrangement, were completed in 2001. The Baha’i administrative buildings and world headquarters were constructed adjacent to the decorative terraces.

All things considered, Elijah could have hardly picked a more historical, political, religious, and battle-soaked (past, present and future) location for this decisive contest. Ironically, while many people of many faiths will emphatically point to El-Murahkah as the scene of this incredible showdown, without any hesitancy in acknowledging these events truly transpired, most show little to no grasp of the meaning behind what took place. While they may not question the accuracy of the Biblical details, they miss the significance of what that means.

If Christians truly believe this happened, that fire really did come down from the sky from Yahweh in response to Elijah’s prayer, shouldn’t that belief ignite our faith and prayer life? Do we truly believe that we can pray in such a manner, have such a personal relationship with Yahweh, that astonishing miracles can still take place today? Yet how often is this contest quickly glossed over as interesting story, with no meaning or relevance for today drawn from it? For other religions, Elijah pointed out that the Israelites were limping between two conflicting religious systems, trying to meld the best of both. Elijah’s intent was for them to acknowledge there is only true God – Yahweh, with only one true way of following Him. Yet how many religions attempt to still insert a belief in God with the trappings of man-made traditions, legends and beliefs that conflict with God’s teachings in His Word? This sadly shows how little we have truly come from these religiously limping, spiritually crippled people. If this really happened, what should that mean for us?