Elijah and John the Baptist both knew the destruction to come to the leaders and worshippers of a false god.

Part 11…2 Kings 1 

Christ Jesus said, “And if you are willing to receive it, [John the Baptist] is Elijah who is to come.” Matthew 11:14

This post begins with Elijah’s prophecy against Ahaziah, so who was Ahaziah? He was the son of Ahab, the wicked king of Israel, who died in battle, as written about in 1 Kings 22:34-36. At that time, Ahaziah, the son of Ahab and Jezebel, became king over Israel, in Samaria. He did evil in the eyes of God and followed the corrupt ways of his parents who massacred the true prophets of God, 1 Kings 22:51-53. Ahaziah was still under the influence of his mother Jezebel, like his father was. Jezebel was violently killed later on in 2 Kings 9:30-37.

Ahaziah was injured after falling through the lattice of his upper room. He wanted to know if he would recover or not, so he sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub [Old Testament spelling], a false god. Jesus Christ was accused of casting out demons by Beelzebub [New Testament spelling], “Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” Matthew 12:24 This is where Elijah comes in, the Lord said to Elijah, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’” Because Ahaziah sought the counsel of a false god, the Lord said, “‘You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’‘”

Our Lord Jesus referred to John the Baptist as being Elijah, and the prophecy at John’s birth was that he would minister in the spirit and power of Elijah. From this, we know that John was just like Elijah in his Holiness that led to his detest of people inquiring of a false god over the Living God. We can have no doubt that the fire of the Holy Spirit within John led him to confront the corrupt Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes saying in essence, “‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub…?” Like Elijah, John the Baptist was sure to make the consequences of rejecting God known by saying in essence, “‘You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’‘”

The messengers of Ahaziah, who went to inquire of Baal-Zebub, did as Elijah said and turned around to go back to Ahaziah and deliver the message given to them by Elijah. Ahaziah asked them why they came back, and they told them and delivered the message, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’”’” Like Elijah, John the Baptist also gave messages to the messengers of the unbelieving and corrupt Pharisees, to lift up the Living God through Jesus Christ, “Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.” John 1:24-27

Ahaziah also wanted to know who it was and what kind of man gave the message to them to deliver to him, the messengers said, “A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.” We also know that John the Baptist was identified by the leather belt he wore around his waist and easy to believe that he was hairy, “Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.” Matthew 3:4

When Ahaziah learned that it was Elijah who prophesied against him, he sent to him fifty soldiers saying, “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down!’” Elijah had no intention of coming down and replied, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” That is exactly what happened. Ahaziah sent another fifty and the same thing happened again. Like Elijah, John the Baptist was not willing to come down to meet any corrupt Pharisees, and he consumed them with the fire of the Holy Spirit, as quoted, “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Matthew 3;7

Ahaziah sent fifty soldiers a third time, but this time the captain of the fifty “…came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him, and said to him: “Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight.” This was a sign of humbleness and humility in the eyes of God, “And the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” Like Elijah, John the Baptist also had the mercy and grace of God working through his ministry, as quoted, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go
before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways…Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:76, 78-79

Elijah went with the captain of fifty to see the corrupt king of Israel, Ahaziah. Elijah said to the king, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ”So Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken.

Like Elijah, John the Baptist also spoke the truth of the Lord to those in power and how they would die in their sin. He confronted Herod for his sin of marrying his brother’s wife, as quoted, “But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by [John the Baptist] concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.” John 1:19-20 John the Baptist foretold of the judgment to come through Jesus Christ and of the Pharisees dying in their sin, “John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.” John 1:16-17

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“Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria, and was injured; so he sent messengers and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury.” But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ Now therefore, thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ” So Elijah departed.

And when the messengers returned to him, he said to them, “Why have you come back?” So they said to him, “A man came up to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you, and say to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ” ’ ”

Then he said to them, “What kind of man was it who came up to meet you and told you these words?” So they answered him, “A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.” Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him; and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him: “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down!’ ”

So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. Then he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty men. And he answered and said to him: “Man of God, thus has the king said, ‘Come down quickly!’ ”So Elijah answered and said to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

Again, he sent a third captain of fifty with his fifty men. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him, and said to him: “Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight. Look, fire has come down from heaven and burned up the first two captains of fifties with their fifties. But let my life now be precious in your sight.”

And the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king. Then he said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ”So Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken. Because he had no son, Jehoram became king in his place, in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.

2 Kings 1