The Elijah Pattern (Part 2) Part Two

The Elijah Pattern: Atonement as the Great Day of Decision The cross is just the beginning, not the end! Elijah didn't stay at the brook Cherith forever. God had more for him to do, more places for him to go. In the same way, while we must never move away from the foundation of the cross, God has more for us to experience in His prophetic plan. The brook eventually dried up, and Elijah had to move on. Why? Because God's timeline was progressing, and it was time for the next phase. PART 4: ZAREPHATH - THE PENTECOST PATTERN The Next Assignment After the brook dried up, God gave Elijah new instructions. Look at 1 Kings 17:8-9: "Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 'Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.'" Now, this must have seemed strange to Elijah. Zarephath was in Gentile territory - the land of Sidon, outside of Israel. Why would God send His prophet there during Israel's time of judgment? But again, we need to look at this prophetically. This represents the transition from the Passover age (focused primarily on JUDAH) to the Pentecost age (where the gospel goes to all SCATTERED TRIBES lost among the GENTILES). The Meaning of Zarephath The name Zarephath comes from the Hebrew word "zaraph," which means "to smelt, to refine, to purify." This is exactly what Pentecost is supposed to do! Remember what happened at the original Pentecost? Acts 2:3 says there appeared "tongues as of fire" that sat upon each of the disciples. Fire is used throughout Scripture as a symbol of God's purifying presence. But here's what most Christians don't understand: The fire of Pentecost isn't just meant to bless you - it's meant to refine you! The Widow Woman Elijah was sustained at Zarephath by a widow woman whose flour and oil never ran out. This is a beautiful picture of the Church during the Pentecost age. The widow represents the Church - we're like a woman whose husband (Jesus) has gone away but who is waiting for His return. During His absence, we're sustained by the flour (the Word of God) and the oil (the Holy Spirit) that never fail. The Problem with Pentecost Now, here's where we need to be honest about something. The Pentecost age has been a mixed bag. • On the positive side, the gospel has gone to every nation. • Millions have been saved. • The Church has grown from a small group of disciples to a worldwide movement. • The gifts of the Spirit have been manifested. • Lives have been transformed. The original Pentecost at Mount Sinai. When God came down in fire and offered to speak directly to the people, what did they do? They ran the other direction! They told Moses, "You go talk to God. We don't want to die!" The same thing has happened throughout the Church age. God has offered to refine His people, to write His law on their hearts, to bring them into deeper intimacy with Him. But many Christians have preferred to keep their distance. They want the blessings of Pentecost without the refining of Pentecost. They want the gifts without the transformation. They want the power without the purification. Some have even preferred prosperity messages over "die to self" messages. They've run from the very fire that God sent to purify them! The Incomplete Work This is why the Pentecost age, while necessary and wonderful, is not the end of God's plan. Pentecost was meant to prepare us for something greater. It SUSTAINED US with ANOINTING and FIRE – but it was not meant to KEEP US – Pentecost is RELEASING THE SONS OF THE EAST – the KINGS OF THE EAST Just like Zarephath sustained Elijah during the famine, the Pentecost age has sustained the Church during the spiritual famine. But it was never meant to be our final destination. God has more feast days to fulfill, more of His plan to reveal. The refinery of Pentecost is preparing us for the greater works that are to come. PART 5: THE RESURRECTION - FEAST OF TRUMPETS When Death Interrupts the Plan Everything seemed to be going well at Zarephath. The widow's flour and oil were lasting. Elijah was safe and provided for. But then disaster struck. Look at 1 Kings 17:17: JUST LIKE THE BROOK DRIED UP in a previous EXPERIENCE IN GOD --- "Now it came about after these things that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his sickness was so severe that there was no breath left in him." Notice THE SON OF THE WOMAN – the MANCHILD being birthed by THE CHURCH --- the TWO WITNESS COMPANY – was about to lay dead in the streets The widow's son died. Can you imagine the devastation? Here was this woman who had been faithful to provide for God's prophet, and now her only son was dead. To make matters worse, she blamed Elijah! Verse 18 says: "So she said to Elijah, 'What do I have to do with you, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my iniquity to remembrance and to put my son to death!'" ELIJAH ALWAYS COMES TO TAKE THE TRUE SONS AWAY from the PREVIOUS MOVEMEMNT But Elijah didn't panic. He knew that God had a purpose even in this tragedy. The Power of Resurrection Look at what happened next in verses 19-22: "He said to her, 'Give me your son.' Then he took him from her bosom and carried him up to the upper room where he was living, and laid him on his own bed. He called to the LORD and said, 'O LORD my God, have You also brought calamity to the widow with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?' Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and called to the LORD and said, 'O LORD my God, I pray You, let this child's life return to him.' The LORD heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived." This is the first recorded resurrection in the Bible! And it's not an accident that it happens at this point in Elijah's prophetic timeline. Peter's Three Denials and Three Affirmations • Denied Jesus three times before the crucifixion (Matthew 26:34, 75) • Affirmed his love three times after the resurrection (John 21:15-17) • Pattern: Failure → Restoration → Commission Jonah's Three Days • Three days and three nights in the belly of the whale (Jonah 1:17) • Jesus referenced this as a sign of His own death and resurrection (Matthew 12:40) • Pattern: Death → Burial → Resurrection Three Feasts of Pilgrimage • Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles - three times yearly all males must appear (Deuteronomy 16:16) • Pattern: Complete covenant obligation The Feast of Trumpets Connection The Feast of Trumpets, which occurs on the first day of the seventh month (Tishri), is prophetically connected to the resurrection of the dead. Paul makes this clear in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52: "Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." The "last trumpet" is referring to the Feast of Trumpets! So when Elijah raised the widow's son from the dead, he was establishing a prophetic pattern for what would happen at the Feast of Trumpets - the resurrection of God's overcomers. Who Is the Dead Son? THIS IS A DUAL FULFILLMENT – it not only represents the COMING TRUMPETS – but THE PRESENT RESURRECTION happening now under the ELIJAH MINISTRY – some of us are ALREADY IN THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS – we have HEARD HIS VOICE and been RESURRECTED with CHRIST in HEAVENLY PLACES – NOW – but those who are in the grave sleeping – AWAIT a FUTURE TRUMPETS – this SON represents BOTH Now, who does the widow's son represent prophetically? He represents the company of overcomers who must be "raised up" before the final outpouring can come. These are the believers who have been willing to go through the refining fire of Pentecost. They've allowed God to write His law on their hearts. They've died to self and been made alive to God. But before they can fulfill their ultimate purpose, they must experience a literal resurrection. This isn't talking about all believers throughout history. This is talking about a specific group - those who will be raised in what Revelation 20:6 calls "the first resurrection." The Proof That Convinces Notice what happened after the resurrection. Verse 24 says: "Then the woman said to Elijah, 'Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.'" The resurrection proved to the widow that Elijah really was God's messenger! the Church will finally recognize that God is truly working through these people. This will be the catalyst for the Church's repentance and the beginning of the great revival that's to come. BUT AT FIRST – the CHURCH WILL BE ANGRY WITH THIS COMPANY OF PEOPLE Why Resurrection Must Come First You see, God's order is always resurrection before glorification. You can't have the fullness of the Kingdom without first having the company of people who have been raised up to administer it. The widow's son had to be raised before the story could continue. In the same way, the overcomer company must be raised before the final acts of God's prophetic drama can unfold. This resurrection will mark the transition from the Pentecost age to the Tabernacles age. It's the signal that God is ready to move to the next phase of His plan. PART 6: MOUNT CARMEL - THE DAY OF ATONEMENT SHOWDOWN The Return to Israel After the widow's son was raised from the dead, God gave Elijah a new assignment. Look at 1 Kings 18:1-2: "Now it happened after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, 'Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.' So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab." It was time to go back to Israel or for our hearts to turn BACK TO THE FATHERS -- -after we were lost in SIDON and ZARAPHETH – even in PENTECOST we took on a GENTILE MIND – a WIDOWS MIND - It was time for the confrontation that would end the famine. But first, there had to be a day of decision. The Blame Game When Ahab saw Elijah, he immediately went on the attack. Verse 17: "When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, 'Is this you, you troubler of Israel?'" Isn't this typical? The king who had led Israel into idolatry and rebellion was blaming the prophet for all the nation's problems! "You're the one causing all this trouble, Elijah!" Not welcome in PENTECOST/ CHRISTIANITY nor JUDAISM But Elijah didn't back down. Verse 18: "He said, 'I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and you have followed the Baals.'" "No, Ahab. The problem isn't me. The problem is that you've forsaken God's commandments!" The Great Challenge Elijah proposed a test that would settle the matter once and for all. Verses 19-21: "Now then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table. So Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel. Elijah came near to all the people and said, 'How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.' But the people did not answer him a word." Christians get real quiet when they don’t know who to follow WHAT I AM ABOUT TO SHOW YOU is THE DAY OF ATONEMENT – The Ultimate Day of Decision – THE WEDDING DAY between ISRAEL and YAHWEH --- Think about the progression we've seen in Elijah's story - it mirrors the journey of the Bride: PASSOVER (Brook Cherith) = The Betrothal • The covenant relationship established through the cross • We accepted Yeshua as our Bridegroom • We said "yes" to His proposal PENTECOST (Zarephath) = The Veiling and Vows • We received the Holy Spirit (like a bridal veil) • We made our vows to follow Him • We began the preparation and refining process FEAST OF TRUMPETS (Resurrection) = The Announcement • God's power demonstrated to prove His reality • The overcomer company raised up as witnesses DAY OF ATONEMENT (Mount Carmel) = The Final Decision Day • "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve" • Will we fully surrender as His Bride? • No more hesitation, no more double-mindedness • Complete "anah" - total surrender to the Bridegroom Here's where we need to understand what was really happening. This wasn't just a contest between prophets - this was Israel's Day of Atonement moment! Notice Elijah's question: "How long will you hesitate between two opinions?" The Hebrew word for Day of Atonement includes "anah" - which means to humble oneself, to surrender completely. But before you can surrender, you have to decide who you're surrendering TO. This is exactly what Israel faced at Mount Carmel. Would they finally surrender completely to Yahweh, or would they keep trying to serve both God and Baal? The people couldn't move forward to the blessing (Tabernacles rain) until they made their choice! The Shocking Reality: Israel's Own Sons as Baal's Prophets Now here's something that will shock you - and it makes this story even more relevant to our day. The 450 prophets of Baal weren't foreigners. They were sons of Israel! Think about it: King Ahab "sent a message among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel" (verse 20). These weren't Canaanite priests imported from other nations. These were Israelites who had been raised in covenant families, who knew the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - but who had chosen to serve Baal instead. They still considered themselves part of Israel! They still claimed the covenant identity. They still participated in Israel's national life. But their hearts had turned to other gods. The Modern Parallel Church, can you see how this mirrors what's happening today? We have people in our congregations, in our pulpits, who still call themselves Christians, who still claim to be part of God's people - but who are actually serving other gods. What are the modern "Baals"? • Cultural acceptance instead of biblical truth • Prosperity and comfort instead of the cross • Popular opinion instead of God's Word • Denominational tradition instead of complete Scripture • Political correctness instead of prophetic courage These modern "prophets of Baal" still: • Attend church regularly • Use Christian vocabulary • Claim to love God • Consider themselves part of Israel (the Church) • But they serve other masters when it comes to the hard choices The Devastating Question So when Elijah asked, "How long will you hesitate between two opinions?" - he wasn't talking to obvious pagans. He was talking to covenant people who were trying to serve both Yahweh AND Baal. They wanted to: • Keep their Israelite identity (for the benefits and belonging) • But also serve Baal (for the cultural acceptance and ease) Sound familiar? How many Christians today want to: • Keep their Christian identity (for eternal security and community) • But also serve cultural gods (for social acceptance and worldly success) The Day of Decision Reality This is why the Day of Atonement is so crucial. God isn't asking outsiders to make a choice - He's asking His own covenant people to decide who they really serve. The question isn't: "Will you become a ISRAELITE?" The question is: "Will you stop being a lukewarm, compromised, double- minded covenant person and finally surrender completely to your God?" This makes Elijah's challenge even more piercing: "If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." Translation: "Stop trying to have it both ways! Stop claiming to be My people while serving other gods! Make your choice!" The Challenge Explained Then Elijah laid out the terms. Verses 22-24: "Then Elijah said to the people, 'I alone am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal's prophets are 450 men. Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, He is God.' And all the people answered and said, 'That is a good idea.'" This was the test: The God who answers by fire would prove who deserved Israel's complete surrender (anah). But notice something crucial: This day of decision came AFTER the resurrection (the widow's son) and BEFORE the rain (Tabernacles outpouring). The Day of Atonement is always the final choice before the blessing! Why the False Prophets Failed Now, look at what happened when the prophets of Baal tried to call down fire. Verses 26-29: "So they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, 'O Baal, answer us.' But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made. It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, 'Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.' So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention." How could SONS OF ISRAEL -call on the name BAAL – it comes from BAHAL – which simply means MASTER, LORD, OWNER – it was a GENERIC GOD In the minds of these SONS OF ISRAEL -they were not calling on a FALSE GOD – they had simply no RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TRUE GOD !!!!! YAHWEH had simply devolved to LORD or GOD – the UNKNOWN GOD – How did this happen – THEY LOST THE SABBATH AND THE FEAST – THE SIGNS Hosea 2:16 - The Smoking Gun The clearest evidence comes from Hosea 2:16: "And it will come about in that day," declares the LORD, "that you will call Me Ishi [my husband] and will no longer call Me Baali [my Baal/master]." This is huge! God is saying that Israel had been calling Him "Baali" (my Baal/master) thinking they were worshipping Him, but He wants them to use the intimate name of THEIR HUSBAND The Meaning of "Baal" You're absolutely correct: • Baal = Master, Lord, Owner, Husband • It was a TITLE, not originally a proper name • Israelites likely thought they were still worshipping the true God - just using a generic Canaanite title How the Drift Happened: 1. Intermarriage - Israelites married Canaanites who called their god "Baal" (master) 2. Cultural Integration - Adopted local terminology to "fit in" 3. Gradual Drift - Slowly moved from "YAHWEH" to "the Lord" to "the Master" to "Baal" 4. Generic Worship - Lost the sacred, personal name and relationship Modern Parallel: This is EXACTLY what happens today! • Christians drift from "Yahshua" to generic "GOD" • From biblical specifics to cultural generalities • From sacred names to acceptable titles • Thinking they're still worshipping the same God while actually serving a generic, culturally-acceptable deity Why This Makes the Mount Carmel Story More Powerful: The Israelites weren't intentionally rebelling - they had gradually drifted into calling God by a generic title that eventually became identified with false worship. They probably genuinely thought they were serving the God of their fathers! They needed a VOICE OF ELIJAH TO RESTORE ALL THINGS Now – their PRAYERS WERE NOT ANSWERED – not because they were calling on a FALSE GOD – The Meaning of ELIJAH: ELI = My God YAH = Yahweh (the sacred name) Combined: "My God is Yahweh" or "Yahweh is my God" The Prophetic Significance: This makes the Mount Carmel confrontation even more powerful! Here you have: • 450 prophets of BAAL (generic "master/lord") • Versus one prophet named "MY GOD IS YAHWEH" The very name ELIJAH was a walking declaration against generic, compromised worship! The Challenge Becomes Personal: When Elijah asked "How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him" - his very NAME was making the argument! It's as if he was saying: • "I am ELI-YAH - 'My God is Yahweh'" • "Not 'my god is master' or 'my god is lord'" • "But specifically YAHWEH - the covenant God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!" But is gets better - He was both the covenant man and the power conduit! Because – HIS NAME can be interpreted at STRENGTH OR POWER of YAH --- Why did they fail? Because they had the wrong timing! The Two Sacrifices Pattern You see, there were two sacrifices offered daily in the temple: the morning sacrifice and the evening sacrifice. The morning sacrifice prophetically represents: • The first coming of Christ • The spring feast days (Passover, Firstfruits, Pentecost) • The first outpouring of the Spirit The evening sacrifice prophetically represents: • The second coming of Christ • The autumn feast days (Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles) • The second outpouring of the Spirit They were trying to bring down the fire during the morning sacrifice time. But prophetically, the morning sacrifice represents the first coming of Christ and the spring feast days. That time had already passed! THESE WERE SONS OF ISRAEL – WORSHIPPING THE LORD OF THE LAZY --- they have FAILED TO MOVE with the FEAST the TIMELINE They were trying to force a Pentecostal experience at a Day of Atonement moment. They were trying to bring "Tabernacles rain" at "Atonement time." They didn't understand God's prophetic calendar! They were still trying to put up TENT REVIVAL MEETINGS with PENTECOSTAL POWER – LONGING for the good old days of MIRACLES SIGNS AND WONDERS When that was WORLDS BEHIND US NOW – that’s what the church looks like today – SCREAMING FOR MIRACLES when THERE IS NO RAIN !!!!!!!!!! Elijah waited until the time of the evening sacrifice to pray! He understood God's timing. He understood that this was an autumn feast day event, not a spring feast day event. The Application for Today How many Christians today are making the same mistake as the prophets of Baal? They're trying to force spiritual experiences that belong to a different season! They're trying to bring the fullness of the Kingdom before the Day of Atonement has been fulfilled. They're trying to manifest Tabernacles power without going through Atonement DECISIONS They're operating in the wrong timing, and then they wonder why their prayers aren't being answered! When Elijah's Turn Came Finally, it was Elijah's turn. Look at verses 30-32: "Then Elijah said to all the people, 'Come near to me.' So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD which had been torn down. Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, 'Israel shall be your name.' So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD." Notice what Elijah did first: He repaired the altar. The altar of the YAHWEH had been torn down, abandoned, forgotten. But before the fire could fall, the altar, the COVENANT, THE DECISION PLACE had to be restored. He used twelve stones - representing the twelve tribes of Israel and prophetically representing the overcomers who would carry God's government in the earth. The Water on the Altar Then Elijah did something that seemed crazy. Verses 33-35: "Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, 'Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.' And he said, 'Do it a second time,' and they did it a second time. And he said, 'Do it a third time,' and they did it a third time. The water flowed around the altar, and he also filled the trench with water." Twelve pitchers of water in total (four pitchers, three times). Again, the number twelve - God's number for divine government. ELIJAH CAME TO RESTORE GOVERNMENT among the SONS OF ISRAEL But why put water on the altar when you're trying to get it to burn? Because the water represents the Word of God! The sacrifice had to be saturated with God's Word before the fire could fall. This tells us that the Day of Atonement revival won't come to people who are ignoring God's Word. It will come to those who are saturated with the complete counsel of God - including the parts that many have forgotten or rejected. PART 7: THE FIRE FALLS - ATONEMENT REVIVAL The Simple Prayer After all the preparation was done, Elijah prayed one simple prayer. Look at verses 36-37: "At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, 'O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel, and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.'" Notice the purpose of Elijah's prayer: "that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again." This is the essence of the Elijah ministry! It's not about personal glory or vindication. It's about turning the hearts of God's people back to Him. This is exactly what Malachi 4:6 says the end-time Elijah ministry will do: "he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers." The Hebrew Word "Anah" - True Atonement Surrender Now I need to teach you something that most Christians have never understood about the Day of Atonement. Turn to Leviticus 23:27: "On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD." Most English Bibles say "humble your souls" or "afflict your souls," and then people assume this means fasting. But that's not what the Hebrew says! The Hebrew word here is "anah" (עָנָה), which means "to humble, to surrender, to bow down, to yield, to submit oneself." Fasting is a completely different Hebrew word: "tsom" (צּוֹם). The Day of Atonement isn't primarily about going without food - it's about complete surrender to Yahweh! The Bride of the Word Here's the deeper revelation: The Day of Atonement is about the Bride fully surrendering to her Bridegroom, the Word. Think about what happened at Mount Carmel: • The prophets of Baal = Human religion trying to manufacture revival without true surrender • Elijah = One who fully surrendered (anah'ed) to Yahweh's timing, altar, and Word That's why the fire fell on Elijah's sacrifice and not on Baal's! It wasn't about "doing more" religious activity - it was about yielding more completely. The Pattern of Surrender In Elijah's prophetic pattern, we see this progression: 1. The Hesitation - "How long will you hesitate between two opinions?" 2. The Surrender - Elijah completely submitted to God's timing and methods 3. The Fire - God's presence fell when true surrender happened 4. The Rain - After surrender at Atonement came the outpouring at Tabernacles The Church today is at the "hesitation" stage. We're trying to serve both God and our traditions. We're trying to have revival without complete surrender to His Word. What True Anah Looks Like True "anah" means: • Stop trying to serve both God and religious tradition • Fully surrender to the complete Word of God (including His law and feast days) • Submit to His timing rather than forcing our own agenda • Yield to His appointed authority rather than doing our own thing • Become the Bride of the Word - totally devoted to Him and His truth This is why the coming Day of Atonement will be a day of decision for the Bride. She must stop wavering and fully surrender to her Bridegroom. The People's Response Look at verse 39: "When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, 'The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God.'" When the fire of God falls, people can't help but fall on their faces in worship and repentance. This is what will happen when the Day of Atonement is fulfilled. There will be such an unprecedented manifestation of God's presence that even the skeptics, even the critics, even those who have been opposing the overcomer company will fall on their faces and acknowledge that YAHWEH is God. The Heart Restoration Remember, the purpose of this whole event was heart restoration. The people had been sitting on the fence, not knowing whom to believe. But when they saw the fire fall, their hearts were turned back to the Lord. In the coming Day of Atonement fulfillment, we'll see massive repentance throughout the Church. People will realize that they've been wrong to reject parts of God's Word. They'll see that the overcomers really were hearing from God. They'll repent for causing the "famine of hearing the Word" through their selective obedience. The Fate of the False Prophets After God accepted Elijah's sacrifice, something dramatic happened. Verse 40: "Then Elijah said to them, 'Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.' So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slew them there." Now, some people read this and think, "Oh no! Is God going to start killing people who disagree with Him?" But remember, what is death in the Old Testament becomes life in the New Testament. Think about the pattern at Mount Sinai vs. the Day of Pentecost: • At Sinai: 3,000 people died by the sword for worshipping the golden calf • At Pentecost: 3,000 people were saved through the sword of the Word The same pattern will hold true at the Day of Atonement. The "prophets of Baal" - those who have been leading people away from God's truth - won't be literally killed. They'll be converted! They'll "die" to their false teachings and be "born again" to the truth. Many of them will repent with more tears than anyone else when they realize how they've led people astray. I TELL YOU TODAY – the reason the days of MIRACLES ARE OVER is to make ROOM FOR THE ULTIMATE MIRACLE – the TURNING OF OUR HEARTS back to the FATHERS – the DROUGHT is on purpose The Purpose of Revival Remember, the purpose of the Day of Atonement isn't to end evangelism - it's to prepare for the greatest evangelistic effort in history! Just as Pentecost equipped the early Church to go into all the world and preach the gospel, the Day of Atonement revival will prepare the Church for the worldwide harvest that's coming in the Tabernacles age. The difference is that this time, the Church will have the complete Word of God and will be operating in perfect unity under the leadership of the overcomer company.