The Concept of Elia
THE CONCEPT OF ELIA
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to their children, and the heart of the children’s to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”
Malachi Chapter 4(5-6)
“Surely the Lord’s friend, Akhnukh, who kept his vow with God and did not care for the whole world was transported to paradise. He will remain there till the last age. Towards the end of the world, he will come back along with Elia and another one (Khizer).
Testament of Burnbas Chapter 144
“I shall come a little before the end of this world. Akhnukh and Elia will be accompanying me and we shall bear witness over all the evildoers who have been cursed.”
Testament of Burnbas chapter. 52
“Behold, I will send my messenger (Elia), and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like a fuller’s soap. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi.” Malachi Chapter 3(1-3)
“And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.”
St. Matthew Chapter 17(11-12)
The concept of the last Great Leader was already prevalent among Jews and they called him by the name of ‘Massia’ but along with this they also awaited the arrival of Elia(A.S) and considered it as certain. They also feared his might because when Christ was crucified he cried with a loud voice on the crucifix
“Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachtchani?”
Matthew Chapter 27(46)
On hearing this, a soldier ran speedily, took a sponge, filled it with vinegar put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. This was due to the fact that Christ was calling out Elia loudly and they feared lest some affliction should overtake them. Some of the on-lookers said,” Let us see how Elia saves him?” some of the Jews were certain that Christ himself was Elia who had come to pave the way for the last Great Divine Leader because the Christ usually used to say,
“O people, be penitent because the rule of the Lord is at hand.”
“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying do men say that I the son of man am? And they said, some say that thou art John the Baptist: some Elias, and other, Jeremiahs, or one of the prophets.”
St.Matthew Chapter 16(13-14)
In all the five Testaments there is an anecdote: Christ took his disciples to Mount Olive. He was transfigured before them and his face did shine as the sun and his raiment was white as the light and he talked to Moses and Elia.
(St. Matthew Chapter 17(2-4), Mark-9)
This proves that Elia’s body is made of light. He will appear in the last age with the rod of Moses and the ring of Solomon.
“When that messenger of God will come he will be given a thing similar to a ring. He will bring salvation and blessings for all the nations of the earth who will accept his message. He will come upon the oppressors with a heavy hand. Idolatry wills cease. The Devil will be humiliated. This was the vow made to Abraham (A.S).”
Testament of Burnbas 43
It means that one sign of Elia is that he will be having a special ring. Its utility has been described by St. John in his Revelation.
“And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea. Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, not the trees, till we have scaled the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forth and four thousand of all the tribes of the Children of Israel.” Revelation Chapter 7(2-4)
It means that the foreheads of the 12,000 persons from each tribe will be sealed. The chapter 9 of the Revelation of St. John tells that a great chastisement will be brought on the earth, a great smoke will arise out of a pit out of that smoke locusts will come out and they will be asked to put the people to torture except those who had the seal of God in their foreheads.
When we study the Discourses of the Chief of the believers (Hazrat Ali A.S) we find a clear sentence that ‘I am the Elia who has been mentioned in the Testament.’ Literally, there is a difference of ‘A’ only between ‘Ali’ and ‘Elia’ which has been made ‘Elija’ in English. At another place in the said discourses it has been said, ‘I am the owner of the rod and ring.’ It has been further said I am one who has to walk on the earth during the last age and the great uproar also, about which the Holy Quran says:
“When there will be great uproar.” In many Traditions of the Holy Prophet of Islam through different references, it has been told that after the revelation of sura Namal (The Ant), the Holy Prophet called the Chief of believers (Hazrat Ali A.S) as Daba-tul-Arz. The Holy Quran says:
“And when the word is fulfilled concerning them, we shall bring forth Daba-tul-Arz to speak unto them, because mankind had not faith in our revelation. And (remind them of) the Day when We shall gather out of every nation a host of those who denied Our revelation and they will be set in array. And the word will be fulfilled concerning them because they have done wrong, and they will not speak.”
Al-Namal(The Ant) (82-83,85)
After stamping the foreheads of the people, Daba-tul-Arz will raise his head and will cast his look at the farthest corners of the east and west. At that time the sun of righteousness will rise up from the west and the gate of penitence will be closed. It will be of no use to anyone to accept Islam on that day. If someone is a Muslim and has not reclaimed himself, his Islam will not be of any avail to him.
The Great Divine Reformer will appear in Kaaba between Rukn and Muqam. Simultaneously Christ will descend from heaven in Palestine. Before his arrival, the forces of Dajjal will be subjected to various afflictions by God Almighty. Another quality of Elia(A.S) which has been told in some books is that he will appear in the sun and will introduce the last Great Reformer to the masses at large throughout the universe. “I have raised up One from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon mortar and as the potter treadeth clay.”
Isaiah Chapter 41(25)
The Islamic literature tells that the emergence of the Great Leader will be in the month of Rajab. Three loud voices will resound in the space:
- “Curse of the Lord is on oppressors.
- O, the host of believers, he has come who was awaited.
- A person will appear in the sun and will give the full introduction of the Last Great Leader saying to the believers that “your woes are now ended. Lord God will heal your wounded hearts and give them ideal peace.”
“But unto you, that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings: And ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked: for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet, saith the Lord of hosts.”
Malachi Chapter 11(2-3)
