Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

I Kings 17

Elijah Proclaims a Drought

I Kings 17:¹ And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God (Yᵊhōvâ ‘ĕlōhîm) of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”

• Elijah’s Drought is a Shadow of things to come during the first half of the seven year tribulation:
  
  • James 5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
    
  • Rev 11:⁶ These (the two witnesses) have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.
    
  • Revelation 11:³ And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days (three years and six months), clothed in sackcloth.” (No rain falls for 3-1/2 years)
    
• As a Shadow of things to come, there are similarities between the two which lead to speculations such as Elijah being one of the two witnesses during the tribulation, especially since he was taken up by God without dying.
  • See BIBLE: Matthew Chapter 11 {3 of 3}

• Not having Rain is both spiritual and literal: The translation for rain is “teacher” and faithful rain is the Messiah. In Revelation, the lack of rain is also a lack of (a famine of) the Word of God, and as John the beloved writes in John chapter 1: “In the beginning was the Word…and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”.
  
  • The tribulation is a time when the Antichrist, being indwelt by Satan, attempts to take the place of Christ. He puts himself in the Holy of Holies and declares that he is god. Likewise, he also makes fire come down from heaven in the same way Elijah made fire come down from heaven.
    
    • Revelation 13:13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. (Pure speculation: Perhaps even fire from a UFO as he claims to be an ancient alien god who “seeded” the earth which would explain the disappearance of those in the rapture claiming they were abducted by UFOs)
      
  • Ahab was an evil king, but nothing like the Antichrist to come.

I Kings 17:² Then the word of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) came to him, saying,

I Kings 17:³ “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.

I Kings 17:⁴ And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”

I Kings 17:⁵ So he went and did according to the word of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ), for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.

• CHERITH, a brook (pron. ke’rith), most probably the present wady Kelt, w. of Jericho; Jerusalem is 10 ms. s.w. of its western part. Bible Map

I Kings 17:⁶ The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.

I Kings 17:⁷ And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

Elijah and the Widow

I Kings 17:⁸ Then the word of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) came to him, saying,

I Kings 17:⁹ “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”

I Kings 17:¹⁰ So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.”

I Kings 17:¹¹ And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”

I Kings 17:¹² So she said, “As the Lord God (Yᵊhōvâ ‘ĕlōhîm) lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar (Lit. pitcher or water jar); and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”

I Kings 17:¹³ And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son.

I Kings 17:¹⁴ For thus says the Lord God (Yᵊhōvâ ‘ĕlōhîm) of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) sends rain on the earth.’ ”

I Kings 17:¹⁵ So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days.

I Kings 17:¹⁶ The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) which He spoke by Elijah.

Elijah Revives the Widow’s Son

I Kings 17:¹⁷ Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so serious (severe) that there was no breath left in him (He died).

I Kings 17:¹⁸ So she said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, O man of God (‘ĕlōhîm)? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?”

I Kings 17:¹⁹ And he said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed.

I Kings 17:²⁰ Then he cried out to the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) and said, “O Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) my God (‘ĕlōhîm), have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?”

I Kings 17:²¹ And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) and said, “O Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) my God (‘ĕlōhîm), I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.”

I Kings 17:²² Then the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.

I Kings 17:²³ And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives!”

I Kings 17:²⁴ Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now by this I know that you are a man of God (‘ĕlōhîm), and that the word of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) in your mouth is the truth.”