“I have been very zealous for the Great Eternal God”

Elijah was zealous to see God’s way restored. His total commitment to promoting God’s truths made him a channel for unprecedented acts of God’s power. It is the same for God’s Work of ‘Elijah’ today. But Elijah’s task was difficult. He constantly faced opposition, persecution and death.
 

God raised up Elijah to contest the wickedness of king Ahab and queen Jezebel, who had promoted all sorts of false worship in Israel. The worship of pagan gods, and all the corrupt practices that accompanied it, were tolerated in the nation that was meant to be God’s model nation. God commissioned Elijah to contend with the evils. And he did – magnificently!

Today, God’s model spiritual ‘nation’ – His Church – is equally corrupt, although the falsity is not seen by most Christians. The widespread tolerance of false teachings, false ministers, and false practices such as Christmas, Easter, and Sunday observance to replace God’s Sabbaths, provokes God’s ire.

It’s time for another ‘Elijah’ to do his task!

Though the Church (at least some of it) has expected Elijah’s coming – to fulfil Malachi’s words of restoration at this end time (Mal 4:5,6) – it has not anticipated the barrage of confrontation that must accompany it! Almost totally out of touch with the true prophetic, it regards godly correction as hostile criticism, and true redirection as unwarranted, unjustified and unwelcome interference.

But look at what Elijah did! He contested with all the false prophets in Israel, and made a public, humiliating show of their falsity (1 Ki 18). Why should ‘Elijah’ in our day do any differently?

Where there is public acclaim there is pride. God brings down the lofty and destroys what is false.

Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility (Prov 18:12).

The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day (Is 2:17).

Don’t think that mega-evangelists are exempt from this assault. The size of their operations, or the mass ‘conversions’ at their rallies, or the miracles of healing there, are not proof of God’s satisfaction with all that is happening. God has an agenda that ALL the large ministries and evangelists are unaware of.

Not only are they unaware, most of them are uncaring about it. They don’t care for God’s agenda. Remember Billy Graham? He had his agenda which everyone thought was God’s, and it was – for a time. But later, when his operation became so big that it glorified him more than Jesus, and when he didn’t move on with the Spirit and accept further truth, that’s when the little of God’s Spirit he had, departed from him. Effectively, he became false:

For [only] as many as are LED BY the Spirit of God, these are sons of God (Rom 8:14).

The following dream was given to Kassahun Ayele, a prophet in Ethiopia, revealing what most would not have known about that ‘man of God’:

Dec. 26/06. Billy Graham. I met a friend of mine from the USA whom I hadn’t seen for a long time. We chatted together about the good old days. When we turned our discussion to religion he told me that Billy Graham is a member of the underground Freemasons. I couldn’t believe what I heard [the response of most believers].
Meaning: Billy Graham is not converted.

Comment: I remember telling someone that Billy Graham was a false minister, because what he established was a large institution to glorify his name.

The man I told didn't believe me. He thought Billy Graham was a good man with laudable motives.

But the telltale sign of falsity was when Billy G didn't move on and accept the healing ministries, and didn't go on to accept faith for God to heal. All he preached was a halfway house gospel of salvation only, and that was for his own self-glorification as much as Christ's.

Whenever someone draws back from accepting more truth, and refuses to come into the full will of God, they backslide. The eventual outcome of that is to even lose what they think they have – salvation.

Popularity Can Be A Hindrance

There were few (if any?!) miraculous wonders with Billy Graham’s ministry – just big crowds at his meetings. Don’t forget Jesus’ words about popularity:

Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets (Luke 6:26).

God has an agenda for those who are lifted up, and who become idols in the minds of people:

The idols He shall utterly abolish (Is 3:18).

All the notable mega-evangelists today, like Benny Hinn, Morris Cerullo, Reinhard Bonnke, et al, have become celebrities – idols – to many. And, it would seem they like the acclaim. I doubt if Reinhard sought popularity, but now that he has it, he is making the best use of it for his own agenda – to try and raise money for his further ‘crusades’. This is, however, only a human approach.

It is human to want to be popular, to be listened to, or to be accepted. Prophets of God are rejected, not accepted. The biblical prophets did their tasks, and a few like Jonah and Elijah were listened to for a while. But most were not, and although Elijah was the most celebrated, he was soon running for his life!

Fire Of  God’s Judgement

Elijah declared that there would be no dew or rain, for years, except at his command (1 Ki 17:1). Only a prophet, speaking with God’s authority, can specify such a punishment. That was Elijah’s opening gambit. God backed him up. There was no rain!

In the third year of this devastating drought, God told Elijah to go to king Ahab, to inform him that rain would soon be coming (1 Ki 18:1).

In Elijah’s uncompromising approach to Ahab, he told him that the dreadful drought was due to Ahab’s disobedience of God’s commandments (18:18). There is a similar spiritual drought decreed upon God’s people today because of disobedience to God’s will.

With no further ado, Elijah, with God’s authority, then required Ahab to summon all the false prophets for a public showdown on Mount Carmel (18:19).

You know the story, I’m sure. Elijah called down supernatural fire, confirming the veracity of Elijah’s words, and routing the falsity (18:36-40).

Falsity in our day is going to be similarly trounced, and truth verified, by miraculous power – by the long-dead being raised, as explained in Waking The Dead.

But that does not banish opposition. Elijah’s life was under threat from Jezebel after his victory (19:2). He fled, despondent (19:4). Why was he discouraged? Because he thought his exploits should have changed things more than they did.

John the Baptist was equally discouraged and perplexed (Matt 11:3).

God’s ideas and goals are rarely ours. People tend to look for a physical victory or positive outcome, while God often defers it for greater spiritual reasons.

Elijah could not understand why what God had done had not completely ousted the wicked rulers, and why the repentance and reform were short-lived.

In our time God has poured out His ‘fire’ from heaven, killing the wicked and their livestock, and confirming the veracity of the words of His servants. Though God does these astounding things, His mind is still not easy to fathom.

We have seen deceivers first given a chance by God, then misuse funds, turn against us and the truth, and nearly ruin all that we had begun. God portrayed it like this in a dream:

25th February 2008. M. The devourer devours.
We were growing plants, but as fast as the plants could grow, they were being devoured. I couldn’t see what was devouring them. They were being totally eaten away like caterpillars eat lovely soft fleshy Brassicas.

Various people in Kenya were given a chance to advance this restoration of truth. But like Elisha’s servant Gehazi was overcome by greed for money (2 Ki 5:20-27), so were most of them. Money that was sent to enable God’s work to go forward in Kenya was embezzled, and our ‘plant’ suffered great loss. It was not only ours; it was God’s!

But no one who defies God, does so for long! Someone bought ten cows with the embezzled money. A few months I was informed by another person that one morning they were found all lying where they were still tethered, their tongues hanging out, dead!

There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; and one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches (Prov 13:7). Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished... (Prov 13:11). ...the lamp of the wicked will be put out (Prov 13:9). For our God is a consuming fire (Heb 12:29).

...we shall not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven (Heb 12:25).

The unpardonable sin is wilful sin, from which there is no repentance and therefore no forgiveness. God conveyed what had happened by this imagery:

26th February 2008. M. Carrying a man to burial.
I was carrying a dead body on a stretcher covered with canvas. The stretcher had two handles in the middle so that I could carry it singlehandedly. Some other people were watching me as I lugged this body to its burial.
Meaning: I received an e-mail from Axxx in Kenya the morning after this dream. In it he mentioned how Pxxxx turned against him and against MM. P has turned hostile. The dream allegorically depicts his spiritual death.

Like Elijah, it would be easy to get discouraged without understanding of God’s involvement in all that takes place. The dreams from God reassure us.

Elijah called down fire from heaven upon an army captain and his troop of 50 soldiers. They were incinerated alive for attempting to arrest him. When a second deployment came to arrest him, they suffered the same fate! (2 Ki 1.) The third captain was not so arrogant, and pleaded in humility for his life. God honoured that genuine attitude (2 Ki 1:13-15). God awaits the same humble response from people today.

Pronouncement Against Rebellion

The prophet pronounced judgement upon the king and all who defied God in their idolatry (1:17), and the ignominious end of Jezebel (1 Ki 21:23). True prophets pronounce the same condemnation upon church leaders and believers today who refuse to turn away from syncretism and idolatry which are depicted by the metaphor of Jezebel (Rev 2:20). The prophet’s words do not fall to the ground. Judgement will fall!

Elijah’s final supernatural feat was to separate the waters of the Jordan river.

Elijah ...struck the water; and it was divided this way and that... (2 Ki 2:8).

‘Elijah’ also supernaturally separates the waters of God’s Word, rightly dividing them (2 Tim 2:15) as part of the Last Restoration, making a way to cross over to the other side.

Malcolm B Heap
March 2008 (revised February 2011)