Donald W. Parry
Elijah: Symbol of Jesus Christ
Donald W. Parry, “Elijah: Symbol of Jesus Christ,” in The Jesus Christ Focused Old Testament: Making Sense of a Monumental Book (Springville, UT: Book of Mormon Central, 2022), 90–91.
A great number of righteous men and women from the Old Testament, including prophets, priests, kings, and others, served as types and shadows of Jesus Christ. Their personal purity and righteousness, as well as events in their lives, foreshadowed Jesus’s righteousness and events in His life. The parallels between these individuals and Christ are so striking that these persons serve as symbols of Jesus Christ.
Elijah, too, serves as a type and shadow of Jesus Christ. For example, Elijah was taken up into heaven: “Behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire . . . and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven” (2 Kgs. 2:11). Jesus, too, was taken up into heaven. Luke recorded, “And when [Jesus] had spoken these things, while [His disciples] beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:9–11). This is but one example. Other examples are listed in the chart.
Elijah: Symbol of Jesus Christ
Elijah | Jesus Christ |
|---|---|
Named “My God is Jehovah” (Hebrew Elijah) | Named Jehovah |
Uttered prophecies (1 Kgs. 17:1; 2 Kgs. 1:1–4; 17) | Uttered prophecies (Matt. 24:3–51) |
Miraculously multiplied food (1 Kgs. 17:14–16) | Miraculously multiplied food (Matt. 14:17; 15:34; Mark 6:38; 8:7; Luke 9:13–17; John 6:9) |
Raised the dead (1 Kgs. 17:17–23) | Raised the dead (Matt. 9:18–25) |
Demonstrated power over the elements (1 Kgs. 18:41–45; 2 Kgs. 2:8) | Demonstrated power over the elements (Matt. 8:23–27; Luke 8:23–24) |
Wicked ruler attempted to kill Elijah (1 Kgs. 19:2; 2 Kgs. 1) | Wicked ruler tried to slay Jesus Christ (Matt. 2) |
Fled from wicked rulers to the wilderness (1 Kgs. 19:1–4, 10) | Fled from wicked rulers to the wilderness (John 11:46–54) |
Fasted forty days and nights (1 Kgs. 19:8) | Fasted forty days and nights (Matt. 4:2) |
Received multiple revelations from the lord (1 Kgs. 19:9) | Revealed numerous truths |
Fearlessly denounced sin (1 Kgs. 21:17–24) | Fearlessly denounced sin (Matt. 11:22–23) |
Was taken up into heaven (2 Kgs. 2:11) | Was taken up into heaven (Acts 1:9–11) |