Elijah

But if we look backward and compare the life of Elijah with the history of the true church of overcomers, we shall see such a marvelous coincidence as will convince us of the correctness of our supposition that he was the type, and the church the real Elijah.

John was called the Elias because he was another figure, as Elijah was, of the real Elijah, antitypical--the true church in the flesh.

And the fact that Elijah was to come before the great day, and that now we have found in the Church the antitypical Elijah to whom Malachi the prophet referred and whom John the Baptist further typified, should be esteemed another evidence that the time is at hand--that the great Day of the Lord has come.

In some companies the Elijah class may predominate, but usually the Elisha will be the more numerous, and growingly so; for, evidently, though both classes are to be delivered from Babylon's bondage, the large majority of the "overcomers," being stronger, are already free.

The beheading of the one, and the whirlwind and fiery chariot which bore away the other, probably indicate violence to the last members of the body of Christ.

They will not hear the voice of the antitypical Elijah Class--the Church in the flesh (See Millennial Dawn, Vol. II., Chap. viii.)--and hence the earth will be smitten with the great disaster so clearly foretold in Scripture.--`Mal. 4:6`.

Elijah, as one of these prophets, will be honored and blessed after the antitypical Elijah (the Gospel Church) has been glorified.

The real Elijah, who for nineteen centuries has been fulfilling the predictions of Malachi, the prophet, has been composed of the many faithful witnesses for Christ throughout this Gospel age.

Slaying of false prophets--overthrow of false doctrines, etc.--`I Kings 18:40`. (3) Subsequent flight to save his life--the complete separation of a class from the power of Jezebel in the interest of the new life, 1829 to 1846, corresponding to the Cleansed Sanctuary Class.--`I Kings 19:1-4`; Vol. III., pp. 83-119. (4) Elijah's first awakening (`19:5`) corresponds to the spiritual awakening of this class, known as the "Miller Movement."

The antitypical Elijah, God's saintly people, are today learning to discriminate between different manifestations of Divine power through different agencies.

Similarly, Elijah the Prophet and his dealings with Ahab, Jezebel and the affairs of Israel, was a type of the true Church of Christ in the flesh--this side the veil.

The three and a half years, 1260 days, of Elijah's experiences while hiding in the wilderness from Queen Jezebel were symbolic, and corresponded to the 1260 years of the true Church in the wilderness condition, where she had fled from the antitypical Jezebel.

Our Lord's answer was that Elias had already come (John the Baptist, the antitype of Elijah), and that the Jews knew him not, recognized him not, but had done to him whatsoever they pleased--imprisoning him and ultimately beheading him in prison.

He is now, and ever will be, a glorious spirit being of the highest order—the divine nature: and the transfiguration was intended to convey to the minds of his disciples a faint conception of the glory which excelleth. Moses represented the faithful overcomers who preceded our Lord, described by the Apostle ('Heb. 11:39,40'), who cannot be made perfect until the Kingdom shall have been established. Elijah represented the overcomers of the Gospel age.

Elijah represented the Church of this Gospel Age, which will end her earthly career by being taken to heaven, even as Elijah typically was carried into the heavens.

In other words, the Elijah class is composed of Jesus and all of His footstep followers throughout this Gospel Age--in their earthly or fleshly condition, spirit-begotten, but not yet spirit-born.

Fire always represents destruction, and a chariot of fire would seem to signify some very trying experience that will separate the Elijah class from the Elisha class, and bring the deliverance of the Elijah class.

Then the picture seems to indicate that the Elijah class will be taken up — changed in the great whirlwind of anarchy, indicating that some of the Lord's true saints may suffer some special persecution.

If that is true, then it follows that it is the message of truth sent far and wide amongst the people that will cause the division or separation ; and it is manifest beyond the question of a doubt that it is the Elijah class that uses it, and not Elisha.

In that transfiguration scene Elias (Elijah) pictured Christ Jesus doing a certain work concerning the kingdom which concluded at a specific time, to wit, the work of ‘preparing the way before the Lord’; and Moses pictured Christ Jesus the great Prophet, Priest and King and who therefore is the Executive Officer of Jehovah.

With the Lord’s coming to the temple in 1918 the work pictured by Elijah's activities came to an end and was taken away as by a war-chariot of fire and in a whirlwind.

John’s course, in fact, foreshadowed the “Elijah work”, from 1878 to 1918, of Jehovah’s witnesses, during which forty years there was no house-to-house witnessing by word of mouth except for a few hundred pioneers devoting all their time to door-to-door testimony.

Other physical facts show that for forty years prior to 1918 faithful Christians did a work of restoring fundamental Bible truths and turning the hearts of many toward God, thus preparing the way before the second coming of the Lord.

In the days of Jesus John the Baptist had completed the work as a forerunner. Also this reconciler worked hard to turn the people into the way of righteousness and if possible bring about their conversion. He well knew that if they were unconverted when the day of wrath was ready to be poured out they would be utterly destroyed. John the Baptist was performing a kind of service similar to that of Elijah.

The Jews questioning John thought that Elijah would be resurrected to return and fulfill Malachi’s prophecy that Elijah would come and do a preparatory work before the arrival of “the great and terrible day of Jehovah.” (Mal. 4:5, 6, AS) But John was no resurrected Elijah; so he correctly denied that he was Elijah.

True to the prophecy, in modern times the "faithful and discreet slave" has appeared to perform the foretold work of Elijah.

Also, the conversation of the visionary Moses and Elijah about Jesus' exodus was proof that his humiliating death was not something to avoid, as Peter had desired. In this tableau, Moses, who was used by God to give the Law to Israel, represented that Law covenant. Elijah represented the other prophets. Both the Law and the prophets had foretold Christ, his life, his suffering, his sacrifice, his glory.

John would not be Elijah; but he would do a work similar to that accomplished by the long-deceased prophet Elijah.

Thus "Elijah" is identified as the faithful and discreet slave class of anointed Christians on earth, to whom the Master, Jesus, has entrusted all His belongings.

During the first world war, anointed Christians performed powerful works, just as Moses and Elijah had done.# (Revelation 11:5, 6) Since 1919 they have preached the good news in a hostile world, doing so with the courage of Elijah. (Matthew 24:9-14) And since 1922 they have proclaimed Jehovah's judgments on mankind, just as Moses brought God's plagues upon ancient Egypt.

the modern-day Elijah class, supported by millions of fellow Christians with an earthly hope, enthusiastically carry on the work of restoring pure worship, exalting the name of Jehovah, […]

However, Elijah was no fanatic. He was acting on Jehovah’s behalf in a just execution. Furthermore, genuine Christians know that they cannot follow Elijah’s course in taking a sword to the wicked.

Our loving God listened to Elijah as he expressed his concerns even though He already knew what was troubling him. Jehovah even listened patiently as Elijah repeated himself!