August 27, 2025 • 29 mins
# 224 - Elijah: Fire From Heaven - In this episode of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein, When King Ahaziah falls and faces death, he seeks answers from a false god instead of the living God. In 2 Kings 1, Elijah delivers a fiery warning that exposes the danger of misplaced trust and the mercy hidden even in judgment.
Episode 224 of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein is inspired by the Book of Joshua.
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For more information about Yael Eckstein and IFCJ visit https://www.ifcj.org/
Today's opening prayer is inspired by Psalm 115:4–5,8, "Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them."
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Show Notes:
(01:43) Intro with Yael Eckstein
(02:33) Elijah: Fire From Heaven
(27:13) Reflection with Yael Eckstein
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Previously on the chosen people.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Ugh, there is one man, Makaiah, son of Imla, but
I hate him, hate him. He never prophesies good concerning me,
only evil.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Very well, hear ye, hear ye. I saw all Israels
scattered on the mountains like sheep with no shepherd, and Lo,
Yahweh himself did speak saying, these have no master. Let
them return to their homes in peace.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
Ah, What did I tell you, Jehosephat His proclamations are
never good, always evil.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths
of all these prophets of yours. Yahweh has decreed your.
Speaker 5 (00:57):
Ruin insolent wealth.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Tell me which way did the spirit of Yahweh go
when he left me?
Speaker 5 (01:04):
It will speak to you.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
If you return in victory.
Speaker 5 (01:08):
God has not spoken through me.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Mark my words, the only one, the Victorias and my story.
Speaker 6 (01:17):
If yea not, oh the Lime, it won't belong now
before the dogs come.
Speaker 7 (01:31):
I suppose I mourn him as one would a lost
sandal less, sorrowful, more perturbed that now I have to
find a new one.
Speaker 8 (01:46):
Shello, my friends, from here in the holy land of Israel.
I'm ya l extein with the International Fellowship of Christians
and Jews and welcome to the Chosen People. Each day
we'll hear a dramatic story inspired by the Bible, is
filled with timeless lessons of faith, love, and the meaning
of life. Through Israel's story, we will find this truth
(02:08):
that we are all chosen for something great. So take
a moment today to follow the podcast. If you're feeling
extra grateful for these stories, we would love it if
you left us a review. I read every single one
of them, and if you're interested in hearing more about
the prophetic, life saving work of the Fellowship, you can
(02:29):
visit IFCJ dot Org. Let's begin.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
A Hsiah had never been meant to wear the crown.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
Not really.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
It was supposed to go to one of Ahab's stronger sons,
the ones with their father's wits and their mother's teeth.
But war had taken them, and disease had claimed others,
and so the crown of Israel had passed to him
not by merit, not by strength, but by the cold,
(03:03):
cruel lottery of survival. A Hussaiah was not his father.
He had none of Ahab's determination, none of his wit.
He certainly had none of Jezebel's ruthless cunning, and worst
of all, he knew it. The people whispered it in
(03:23):
the markets. His own servants muttered it when they thought
he couldn't hear. His enemies Syria Moab Judah saw Israel's
new king and sharpened their swords. And now he had
fallen through the lattice of his own upper room, like
an idiot, like a drunken court jester. The wounds were deep.
(03:49):
He lay on his bed, sweat pooling at his collar bone.
His ribs are ruined mess beneath the bandages, every breath
was a labor. The whimpering commands at his.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
Servant kild god to Egerin as bilsbob if if I
will recover.
Speaker 9 (04:16):
My lord, should we not inquire of y'all.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
Do not speak that name to.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Me Yahoe, the god of his ancestors, the god of
the prophets, the god who had hounded his father to
the grave. He could not bow to that god, even
in his pathetic state, because to do so would be
to admit what everyone already whispered, that his kingdom was
(04:48):
a dying ember, that he ruled only by the lingering
fumes of his mother's terror and his father's blood.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
Go gone now.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
They left, the doors slammed behind them. Ahr's eyre lay back, panting,
swallowing the taste of bile and dread. The messengers rode
hard for Akron, dust rising in the torchlight. The road
stretched ahead, winding through the hills, silent but for the
(05:23):
whisper of wind through the trees. Suddenly they saw him,
not emerging from the darkness, not stepping onto the road,
just there. Her figure rooted to the earth, cloak heavy
around his shoulders, the staff in his hand planted like
an anchor. There could be no mistake. It was Elijah,
(05:48):
the prophet of Fire. Beside him stood his apprentice, Elisha,
arms crossed, studying the approaching riders like a gambler sizing
up a rig game. But it was the third figure
that made the air crackle. He stood just behind Elijah,
his form shimmering as if the very air around him
(06:12):
bent in reverence. A man, but not a man. When
he moved, the dust did not stir beneath his feet.
Elijah sighed, rubbing his temple like a man enduring a
familiar headache.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
You always show up when things are about will get interesting,
and yet you still act surprised. Not surprised, just exhausted.
So oh, he just going to not talk about the
glowing man or show some respect. Boy is not man.
(06:51):
He is hello him of the Lord, an ancient one,
the one who speaks for Yahweh himself.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Elishah raised an eyebrow. The angel smirked, he will understand
in time. Elijah exhaled through his nose. There was a
weight in those words, a current beneath them that Elijah
could not yet feel.
Speaker 9 (07:15):
Well, Master, I can see where you get your affection
for the cryptic.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Elijah ignored him. He turned to the angel with a
resigned expression.
Speaker 5 (07:25):
My time is nearly up, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
The angel did not answer, He did not need to.
Speaker 5 (07:34):
I assume I don't get a say in the matter.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
You never did. But it's what are you two talking? Elijah?
Speaker 2 (07:42):
It is time for one last assignment. Ahaziah has forsaken
the covenant.
Speaker 6 (07:48):
You must put the fear of the Lord in him
and in those who serve him.
Speaker 5 (07:54):
Tell him of the judgment to come.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Elijah's expression was un readable, but for the first time,
Elijhah caught something beneath the iron, something deep something final.
The realization hit like a blade between the ribs. His
master was leaving soon. The angel smiled warmly at the prophets,
(08:19):
and then light a flash that tore through the air
like a blade of pure radiance. And then he was gone.
In his place, a mighty wind rushed, rippling towards the
king's incoming messengers. Elijah exhaled, blinking against the after image
(08:39):
burned into his sight. What a dramatic exit seems excessive,
don't you think no subtlety? Elijah ignored his apprentice. His
jaw was set, his eyes already locked on the messengers,
who sat frozen in their saddles, gripping their reins as
if they might keep them tethered to reality. Elijah shouted at.
Speaker 5 (09:01):
Them, Tell me, is it because there is no God
in Israel that your fools got to inquire a bel zabab?
Speaker 1 (09:10):
The leader flinched.
Speaker 9 (09:12):
We were ordered.
Speaker 5 (09:15):
God give me that we are just for we commands
or stone. You know the lawd Moses.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
I didn't listen to night.
Speaker 5 (09:24):
Listen to me, speak from the Lord himself. You will
not reach Akron, and your king will not rise from
his bed.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
He will die. The wind rose Elisha watched the messengers shudder,
watch the way their hands trembled on the reins. The
messengers did not argue. They turned their horses and rode
back the way they came. Elishah searched to look at
his master for a long while. It looked as though
(09:56):
a weight were slowly falling from his chest. You're really going,
aren't you? Elijah did not answer. The messengers returned pale,
hollow eyed, looking as if they had glimpsed something they
were never meant to see. A Hussiah forced himself upright pains,
(10:20):
screaming through his ribs.
Speaker 9 (10:23):
Well, my lord, we never reached a kron What a
man of prophet intercepted us?
Speaker 5 (10:32):
A prophet?
Speaker 9 (10:34):
Well, three prophets, then two strangely, they said that you
will not rise from your bed, that you will die.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
The room when silent, A Josiah's breath was ragged, fury
simmering just beneath the surface. He clenched his jaw. Elijah,
a name like an old wound, reopened. His father's ghost
lurged at the edges of the room. Elijah, the storm
(11:09):
that Ahab could never outrun. The prophet who defied kings
and called down fire. The executioner of his mother's priests.
A Hsiah, took a breath, then rage.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
Just send men, a battalion, fifty soldiers, bring him to me. Now.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
The messenger bowed, retreating. A Husaiah sat in the thick silence,
his ribs aching his pulse, a thud, thud, thud of fury.
Elijah had delivered his verdict. A Hussiah would deliver his king.
A Hussiah's men came like thunder. Elijah stood at the
(11:58):
crest of the hill, un moving, unblinking, his cloak coiling
in the wind like a living thing. Below him, Elijha
shifted his weight, fingers twitching as he stroked his short beard.
Speaker 5 (12:12):
That's a lot of men. Yes, they're armed, most soldiers are.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Then they saw them, fifty men steel, catching the last
light of the day, faces set like stone, a captain
at the front, his stance wide, his hand never straying
far from the hilt of his sword. The wind was rising,
an unnatural thing, pulling at cloaks and banners, hissing through
(12:44):
the dried grass like the whisper of something vast and unseen.
The captain stepped forward, chin raised men of God by
order of King Asiah.
Speaker 10 (12:56):
You are to come down at once.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
Elijah turned his head slightly, just enough for Elisha to
see his face. Elishah felt a shudder pass through his bones.
There was rage in Elijah's eyes, not mere annoyance, not
the dry exasperation he so often showed. This was real
holy fury, because this was not just about the king.
(13:23):
This was about Ahab's legacy. This was about Israel bleeding
out under the weight of its own rebellion, about Jezebel's
corruption still festering in the heart of the kingdom, about
a people who had seen fire fall from heaven and
the Red Sea split in two, and still chose to
(13:45):
bow to lesser God's. Elijah's jaw tightened.
Speaker 5 (13:51):
So the son of Ahab sins mental seize me as
if the Lord were some good magician he could summon.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Maybe we should go with them.
Speaker 5 (14:04):
Oh, no, Elisha, where's your faith? If the Lord could
handle the entire Egyptian army at the Red Sea, surely
fifty men is no large task. Have you not read
the writings of Moses?
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Yes, Master, of course, But I just think. Before the
apprentice could finish his thought, Elijah stepped forward. The wind
caught the edge of his cloak, scent it billowing like smoke.
The sky, already dimming, darkened further, clouds thickening like ink
spilling across parchment. Elisha could feel it now, the weight
(14:42):
in the air, the hum beneath his feet, like the
very ground was waiting. The captain's hand tightened around his sword.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
Come down, man of God.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Elijah's voice cracked through the air like a thunderclap.
Speaker 5 (15:00):
If I am a man of God, let fire fall
from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Elijah's words echoed, rolling down the hill like a shock wave,
carving silence into the world. For a moment, there was nothing.
The captain sneer faltered for half a breath. He glanced up,
just for a moment, just to check the sky was still.
(15:29):
One soldier let out a chuckle, then another, Then a
ripple of laughter spread through the ranks. The captain exhaled
through his nose, shaking his head. That's what I thought.
His grip tightened on his sword.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
If you won't come down on your own, we will draw.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
The men moved, boots scraping against dirt, armor, clanking swords,
lifting Elijha inhaled, sharp, bracing for the worst. Then it
happened all at once. The sky torbo, not like a storm,
not like rain breaking through heavy clouds. This was violence.
(16:15):
Lightning split the heavens, a wound of searing white that
burned the shape of its fury into the retinas of
all who dared look upon it. And from that wound
the fire came, not drifting down, not falling like an
earthly flame. It plunged a spear of raw, undiluted judgment,
(16:38):
a river of white hot wrath. It did not flicker,
did not waver, did not spread like mortal flames seeking
something to devour. It simply erased. One moment, there were
men standing on the hill below, the next nothing. The
(16:59):
smell of oh z own and burning flesh filled Elisha's nostrils,
but the flesh was already gone. No screams, no bodies,
just ash whipping through the wind, like the remnants of
a dead civilization. Elisha had seen fire fall before, but
this was different. It was not a sign to prove
(17:21):
a point. This was judgment. I saw what you did
on Carmel, But this Elijah turned to him, and for
the first time, Elisha saw something beyond the fury, the
weight of it, the massive burden of this calling. Elijah
(17:41):
took no joy in watching men perish in his eyes,
burned twin fires of righteousness and sorrow.
Speaker 5 (17:50):
Look, son, Being a prophet is not about spectacle.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
It is not about miracles.
Speaker 5 (18:00):
It is about carrying the weight of God's justice.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Elisha exhaled, sharply, grounding himself, trying to shake the trembling
from his hands. The captain emerged, face half melted and armor, singed.
Speaker 5 (18:18):
Please, please, man of God, have mercy. Go back to
your king. Tell him what you've seen. Tell him Yahweh
has spoken. The captain did not hesitate. He stumbled to
his feet, barely able to stand, and fled. Elisha watched
(18:40):
him go, the fire still burning in his vision, long
after it had vanished from the sky. Elijah entered King
Ahsaiah's halls like a storm. His bones were older, but
the fire in his belly still burned hot. Elisha followed,
(19:04):
keeping silent. Behind him, a Hussiah lay sprawled in his bed,
propped up by pillows that did nothing to disguise the
sweat pooling at his collar bone, the waxy pallor creeping
across his skin.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
He was failing, his ribs ached with every breath, his
lips were dry, but the cup of wine beside him
sat untouched. And yet his voice still carried its old petulance,
its old arrogance, like a boy refusing to acknowledge the
coming night.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
Elisa, finally you've come to face me.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Elijah stopped at the foot of the bed. He did
not bow, He did not greet the king. A Husiah's
fingers twitched against the sheets, but he lifted his chin,
desperate hold on to the illusion that he was still
the ruler of this place. Tell me, prophets, who will
(20:10):
I live?
Speaker 5 (20:12):
Shut up?
Speaker 1 (20:14):
A Hasiah blinked, his mouth twitched as if he wanted
to argue, But Elijah was already shaking his head, already moving,
already cutting him down before he could rise.
Speaker 10 (20:27):
You do so, with your breathless swords, as your time
to ask if you will live. You son of Aham,
son of Jezebel, who saw the fire fall, a god now.
Speaker 5 (20:42):
Who tuned your father's robes as the one true God
turned your mother's priests to ash.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
There was no satisfaction in Elijah's voice, no playful teasing
as he had with ahab, no righteous, glee, justice, ghast.
Elijah took a step closer to a Husaiah.
Speaker 11 (21:05):
I remember you, boy, I remember the way you trembled
in the shadow of your father. I remember the way
you saw the truth that day and still turned your
back on it.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
The king opened his mouth, some feeble attempt at defense.
Elijah didn't let him.
Speaker 5 (21:26):
You could have bowed, you could have repented. Instead, you
ran with the shrines of Bayar, like your witch mother. Instead,
you built altars to silence. Instead, you threw in your
lot with a corpse god that cannot even keep you
(21:47):
from bawling through the floor of your home.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Elijah leaned in closer, voice dropping to something almost gentle.
Speaker 5 (21:57):
They still seeing so but the greatness of the king. Baby,
when the nation had.
Speaker 12 (22:06):
A real king, a real leader, a man, not a
shriveling and entitled blight, you will shame the ancestors who
came before you and bled for the throne you wrought upon.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
A Hassaiah was breathing hard. Now. He wanted to speak,
to rise, to throw back some semblance of control, but
Elijah stopped him. Not spe only listen.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
You will not moves book, you will not rise again
you will lie.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
The silence pressed down, thick and suffocating. A Hassaiah's lips parted,
a whisper of something, fear, maybe a plea that Elijah
was already turning, already gone. Elijah and Elisha had left
(23:09):
the king's presence, widening the distance between them and the
palace walls. The sun was setting, painting crimson hues over
the dry hills of summer. They sat on a stone,
resting upon a hill. Elishah sat beside his master, looking
out over the city. What fuels your rage?
Speaker 5 (23:33):
At first, it was the blatant corruption, the taxes, the
way the kings paid little regard for the people, injustice.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Elijah pursed his lips, searching his heart for the right
words to answer his apprentice.
Speaker 5 (23:52):
Aheb jezebel Ahiah, are not the true enemy. They were
never the disease, Elisia. They they were only symptoms. What
do you mean? The true enemy is older than Israel,
older than these kingdom, older than the altars of Baale,
(24:16):
ancient evil. It slithered into the garden. It whispered to
our first mother, and coiled around our first father.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
Elisha swallowed hard the words stirred something in him, something deep,
something older than his own lifetime memories. Sitting at his
father's feet as a boy, his father's voice slow and steady,
reading from the words of Moses. The serpent was more
(24:52):
cunning than any beast of the field. Did God really
say you will not surely die? They seemed like stories,
but Elijah knew they weren't fairy tales. Elijah exhaled, his
gaze fixed on the darkened horizon.
Speaker 5 (25:11):
The people refused to see it. They refused to listen.
The Lord brought us out of Egypt, He split the sea,
He fed us in the wilderness, and led a covenant
with us in fire and blood. He has shone himself
again and again and again, and still still. They run
(25:37):
to the gods of the nations, to the empty idols,
to their tombs, same lies, different skins.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Elijah's hands tightened into fists.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
They could not see it, Elisha, They could not see
that the Lord is doing something with our people. He
led us to this befory. The story is much bigger
than what is front of our eyes. They are like
our forefathers in the wilderness. There they are blind.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
The wind pressed against them, cold and restless. Then Elijah turned,
and for the first time in all their years together,
Elisha saw something in his master's eyes he had never
seen before. Not rage, not even sorrow. Hope, but you
(26:34):
you will sauvi mya printless Elishah's chest tightened. Elijah exhaled,
looking up toward the sky. The clouds were parting, silver
light breaking through, illuminating the tired, weathered lines of his face.
(26:56):
Your time is soon, Elisha looked up at him. The
wind howled, and the night held its breath.
Speaker 8 (27:15):
If your faith has been kindled by this podcast and
it has affected your life, we'd love it if you
left her review. We read them, and me personally I
cherish them as you venture forth boldly and faithfully. I
leave you with the biblical blessing from numbers six IV
Hashem vishmerechra yeah heer hashempanave e y sa Hashempana.
Speaker 9 (27:44):
Shalon.
Speaker 8 (27:45):
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the
Lord make his face shine upon you. May he be
gracious to you. Made the Lord turn his face towards
you and give you peace.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
Amen. You can listen to the Chosen People with yle
Eckstein ad free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey
dot Com app today. This Prey dog comproduction is only
made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Gattina,
Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive
(28:17):
producers of The Chosen People with Yiele Eckstein, edited by
Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by
Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvado, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold,
Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Leshinsky,
(28:38):
and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. Music
by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, bre Rosalie
and Chris Baig. Special thanks to Bishop Paulinier, Robin van Ettin,
kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, Rabbi Edward Abramson, and the team
at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear
(28:59):
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Please rate and leave a review.
Previously on the chosen people.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Ugh, there is one man, Makaiah, son of Imla, but
I hate him, hate him. He never prophesies good concerning me,
only evil.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Very well, hear ye, hear ye. I saw all Israels
scattered on the mountains like sheep with no shepherd, and Lo,
Yahweh himself did speak saying, these have no master. Let
them return to their homes in peace.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
Ah, What did I tell you, Jehosephat His proclamations are
never good, always evil.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths
of all these prophets of yours. Yahweh has decreed your.
Speaker 5 (00:57):
Ruin insolent wealth.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Tell me which way did the spirit of Yahweh go
when he left me?
Speaker 5 (01:04):
It will speak to you.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
If you return in victory.
Speaker 5 (01:08):
God has not spoken through me.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Mark my words, the only one, the Victorias and my story.
Speaker 6 (01:17):
If yea not, oh the Lime, it won't belong now
before the dogs come.
Speaker 7 (01:31):
I suppose I mourn him as one would a lost
sandal less, sorrowful, more perturbed that now I have to
find a new one.
Speaker 8 (01:46):
Shello, my friends, from here in the holy land of Israel.
I'm ya l extein with the International Fellowship of Christians
and Jews and welcome to the Chosen People. Each day
we'll hear a dramatic story inspired by the Bible, is
filled with timeless lessons of faith, love, and the meaning
of life. Through Israel's story, we will find this truth
(02:08):
that we are all chosen for something great. So take
a moment today to follow the podcast. If you're feeling
extra grateful for these stories, we would love it if
you left us a review. I read every single one
of them, and if you're interested in hearing more about
the prophetic, life saving work of the Fellowship, you can
(02:29):
visit IFCJ dot Org. Let's begin.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
A Hsiah had never been meant to wear the crown.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
Not really.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
It was supposed to go to one of Ahab's stronger sons,
the ones with their father's wits and their mother's teeth.
But war had taken them, and disease had claimed others,
and so the crown of Israel had passed to him
not by merit, not by strength, but by the cold,
(03:03):
cruel lottery of survival. A Hussaiah was not his father.
He had none of Ahab's determination, none of his wit.
He certainly had none of Jezebel's ruthless cunning, and worst
of all, he knew it. The people whispered it in
(03:23):
the markets. His own servants muttered it when they thought
he couldn't hear. His enemies Syria Moab Judah saw Israel's
new king and sharpened their swords. And now he had
fallen through the lattice of his own upper room, like
an idiot, like a drunken court jester. The wounds were deep.
(03:49):
He lay on his bed, sweat pooling at his collar bone.
His ribs are ruined mess beneath the bandages, every breath
was a labor. The whimpering commands at his.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
Servant kild god to Egerin as bilsbob if if I
will recover.
Speaker 9 (04:16):
My lord, should we not inquire of y'all.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
Do not speak that name to.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Me Yahoe, the god of his ancestors, the god of
the prophets, the god who had hounded his father to
the grave. He could not bow to that god, even
in his pathetic state, because to do so would be
to admit what everyone already whispered, that his kingdom was
(04:48):
a dying ember, that he ruled only by the lingering
fumes of his mother's terror and his father's blood.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
Go gone now.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
They left, the doors slammed behind them. Ahr's eyre lay back, panting,
swallowing the taste of bile and dread. The messengers rode
hard for Akron, dust rising in the torchlight. The road
stretched ahead, winding through the hills, silent but for the
(05:23):
whisper of wind through the trees. Suddenly they saw him,
not emerging from the darkness, not stepping onto the road,
just there. Her figure rooted to the earth, cloak heavy
around his shoulders, the staff in his hand planted like
an anchor. There could be no mistake. It was Elijah,
(05:48):
the prophet of Fire. Beside him stood his apprentice, Elisha,
arms crossed, studying the approaching riders like a gambler sizing
up a rig game. But it was the third figure
that made the air crackle. He stood just behind Elijah,
his form shimmering as if the very air around him
(06:12):
bent in reverence. A man, but not a man. When
he moved, the dust did not stir beneath his feet.
Elijah sighed, rubbing his temple like a man enduring a
familiar headache.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
You always show up when things are about will get interesting,
and yet you still act surprised. Not surprised, just exhausted.
So oh, he just going to not talk about the
glowing man or show some respect. Boy is not man.
(06:51):
He is hello him of the Lord, an ancient one,
the one who speaks for Yahweh himself.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Elishah raised an eyebrow. The angel smirked, he will understand
in time. Elijah exhaled through his nose. There was a
weight in those words, a current beneath them that Elijah
could not yet feel.
Speaker 9 (07:15):
Well, Master, I can see where you get your affection
for the cryptic.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Elijah ignored him. He turned to the angel with a
resigned expression.
Speaker 5 (07:25):
My time is nearly up, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
The angel did not answer, He did not need to.
Speaker 5 (07:34):
I assume I don't get a say in the matter.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
You never did. But it's what are you two talking? Elijah?
Speaker 2 (07:42):
It is time for one last assignment. Ahaziah has forsaken
the covenant.
Speaker 6 (07:48):
You must put the fear of the Lord in him
and in those who serve him.
Speaker 5 (07:54):
Tell him of the judgment to come.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Elijah's expression was un readable, but for the first time,
Elijhah caught something beneath the iron, something deep something final.
The realization hit like a blade between the ribs. His
master was leaving soon. The angel smiled warmly at the prophets,
(08:19):
and then light a flash that tore through the air
like a blade of pure radiance. And then he was gone.
In his place, a mighty wind rushed, rippling towards the
king's incoming messengers. Elijah exhaled, blinking against the after image
(08:39):
burned into his sight. What a dramatic exit seems excessive,
don't you think no subtlety? Elijah ignored his apprentice. His
jaw was set, his eyes already locked on the messengers,
who sat frozen in their saddles, gripping their reins as
if they might keep them tethered to reality. Elijah shouted at.
Speaker 5 (09:01):
Them, Tell me, is it because there is no God
in Israel that your fools got to inquire a bel zabab?
Speaker 1 (09:10):
The leader flinched.
Speaker 9 (09:12):
We were ordered.
Speaker 5 (09:15):
God give me that we are just for we commands
or stone. You know the lawd Moses.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
I didn't listen to night.
Speaker 5 (09:24):
Listen to me, speak from the Lord himself. You will
not reach Akron, and your king will not rise from
his bed.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
He will die. The wind rose Elisha watched the messengers shudder,
watch the way their hands trembled on the reins. The
messengers did not argue. They turned their horses and rode
back the way they came. Elishah searched to look at
his master for a long while. It looked as though
(09:56):
a weight were slowly falling from his chest. You're really going,
aren't you? Elijah did not answer. The messengers returned pale,
hollow eyed, looking as if they had glimpsed something they
were never meant to see. A Hussiah forced himself upright pains,
(10:20):
screaming through his ribs.
Speaker 9 (10:23):
Well, my lord, we never reached a kron What a
man of prophet intercepted us?
Speaker 5 (10:32):
A prophet?
Speaker 9 (10:34):
Well, three prophets, then two strangely, they said that you
will not rise from your bed, that you will die.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
The room when silent, A Josiah's breath was ragged, fury
simmering just beneath the surface. He clenched his jaw. Elijah,
a name like an old wound, reopened. His father's ghost
lurged at the edges of the room. Elijah, the storm
(11:09):
that Ahab could never outrun. The prophet who defied kings
and called down fire. The executioner of his mother's priests.
A Hsiah, took a breath, then rage.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
Just send men, a battalion, fifty soldiers, bring him to me. Now.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
The messenger bowed, retreating. A Husaiah sat in the thick silence,
his ribs aching his pulse, a thud, thud, thud of fury.
Elijah had delivered his verdict. A Hussiah would deliver his king.
A Hussiah's men came like thunder. Elijah stood at the
(11:58):
crest of the hill, un moving, unblinking, his cloak coiling
in the wind like a living thing. Below him, Elijha
shifted his weight, fingers twitching as he stroked his short beard.
Speaker 5 (12:12):
That's a lot of men. Yes, they're armed, most soldiers are.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Then they saw them, fifty men steel, catching the last
light of the day, faces set like stone, a captain
at the front, his stance wide, his hand never straying
far from the hilt of his sword. The wind was rising,
an unnatural thing, pulling at cloaks and banners, hissing through
(12:44):
the dried grass like the whisper of something vast and unseen.
The captain stepped forward, chin raised men of God by
order of King Asiah.
Speaker 10 (12:56):
You are to come down at once.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
Elijah turned his head slightly, just enough for Elisha to
see his face. Elishah felt a shudder pass through his bones.
There was rage in Elijah's eyes, not mere annoyance, not
the dry exasperation he so often showed. This was real
holy fury, because this was not just about the king.
(13:23):
This was about Ahab's legacy. This was about Israel bleeding
out under the weight of its own rebellion, about Jezebel's
corruption still festering in the heart of the kingdom, about
a people who had seen fire fall from heaven and
the Red Sea split in two, and still chose to
(13:45):
bow to lesser God's. Elijah's jaw tightened.
Speaker 5 (13:51):
So the son of Ahab sins mental seize me as
if the Lord were some good magician he could summon.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Maybe we should go with them.
Speaker 5 (14:04):
Oh, no, Elisha, where's your faith? If the Lord could
handle the entire Egyptian army at the Red Sea, surely
fifty men is no large task. Have you not read
the writings of Moses?
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Yes, Master, of course, But I just think. Before the
apprentice could finish his thought, Elijah stepped forward. The wind
caught the edge of his cloak, scent it billowing like smoke.
The sky, already dimming, darkened further, clouds thickening like ink
spilling across parchment. Elisha could feel it now, the weight
(14:42):
in the air, the hum beneath his feet, like the
very ground was waiting. The captain's hand tightened around his sword.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
Come down, man of God.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Elijah's voice cracked through the air like a thunderclap.
Speaker 5 (15:00):
If I am a man of God, let fire fall
from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Elijah's words echoed, rolling down the hill like a shock wave,
carving silence into the world. For a moment, there was nothing.
The captain sneer faltered for half a breath. He glanced up,
just for a moment, just to check the sky was still.
(15:29):
One soldier let out a chuckle, then another, Then a
ripple of laughter spread through the ranks. The captain exhaled
through his nose, shaking his head. That's what I thought.
His grip tightened on his sword.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
If you won't come down on your own, we will draw.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
The men moved, boots scraping against dirt, armor, clanking swords,
lifting Elijha inhaled, sharp, bracing for the worst. Then it
happened all at once. The sky torbo, not like a storm,
not like rain breaking through heavy clouds. This was violence.
(16:15):
Lightning split the heavens, a wound of searing white that
burned the shape of its fury into the retinas of
all who dared look upon it. And from that wound
the fire came, not drifting down, not falling like an
earthly flame. It plunged a spear of raw, undiluted judgment,
(16:38):
a river of white hot wrath. It did not flicker,
did not waver, did not spread like mortal flames seeking
something to devour. It simply erased. One moment, there were
men standing on the hill below, the next nothing. The
(16:59):
smell of oh z own and burning flesh filled Elisha's nostrils,
but the flesh was already gone. No screams, no bodies,
just ash whipping through the wind, like the remnants of
a dead civilization. Elisha had seen fire fall before, but
this was different. It was not a sign to prove
(17:21):
a point. This was judgment. I saw what you did
on Carmel, But this Elijah turned to him, and for
the first time, Elisha saw something beyond the fury, the
weight of it, the massive burden of this calling. Elijah
(17:41):
took no joy in watching men perish in his eyes,
burned twin fires of righteousness and sorrow.
Speaker 5 (17:50):
Look, son, Being a prophet is not about spectacle.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
It is not about miracles.
Speaker 5 (18:00):
It is about carrying the weight of God's justice.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Elisha exhaled, sharply, grounding himself, trying to shake the trembling
from his hands. The captain emerged, face half melted and armor, singed.
Speaker 5 (18:18):
Please, please, man of God, have mercy. Go back to
your king. Tell him what you've seen. Tell him Yahweh
has spoken. The captain did not hesitate. He stumbled to
his feet, barely able to stand, and fled. Elisha watched
(18:40):
him go, the fire still burning in his vision, long
after it had vanished from the sky. Elijah entered King
Ahsaiah's halls like a storm. His bones were older, but
the fire in his belly still burned hot. Elisha followed,
(19:04):
keeping silent. Behind him, a Hussiah lay sprawled in his bed,
propped up by pillows that did nothing to disguise the
sweat pooling at his collar bone, the waxy pallor creeping
across his skin.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
He was failing, his ribs ached with every breath, his
lips were dry, but the cup of wine beside him
sat untouched. And yet his voice still carried its old petulance,
its old arrogance, like a boy refusing to acknowledge the
coming night.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
Elisa, finally you've come to face me.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Elijah stopped at the foot of the bed. He did
not bow, He did not greet the king. A Husiah's
fingers twitched against the sheets, but he lifted his chin,
desperate hold on to the illusion that he was still
the ruler of this place. Tell me, prophets, who will
(20:10):
I live?
Speaker 5 (20:12):
Shut up?
Speaker 1 (20:14):
A Hasiah blinked, his mouth twitched as if he wanted
to argue, But Elijah was already shaking his head, already moving,
already cutting him down before he could rise.
Speaker 10 (20:27):
You do so, with your breathless swords, as your time
to ask if you will live. You son of Aham,
son of Jezebel, who saw the fire fall, a god now.
Speaker 5 (20:42):
Who tuned your father's robes as the one true God
turned your mother's priests to ash.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
There was no satisfaction in Elijah's voice, no playful teasing
as he had with ahab, no righteous, glee, justice, ghast.
Elijah took a step closer to a Husaiah.
Speaker 11 (21:05):
I remember you, boy, I remember the way you trembled
in the shadow of your father. I remember the way
you saw the truth that day and still turned your
back on it.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
The king opened his mouth, some feeble attempt at defense.
Elijah didn't let him.
Speaker 5 (21:26):
You could have bowed, you could have repented. Instead, you
ran with the shrines of Bayar, like your witch mother. Instead,
you built altars to silence. Instead, you threw in your
lot with a corpse god that cannot even keep you
(21:47):
from bawling through the floor of your home.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Elijah leaned in closer, voice dropping to something almost gentle.
Speaker 5 (21:57):
They still seeing so but the greatness of the king. Baby,
when the nation had.
Speaker 12 (22:06):
A real king, a real leader, a man, not a
shriveling and entitled blight, you will shame the ancestors who
came before you and bled for the throne you wrought upon.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
A Hassaiah was breathing hard. Now. He wanted to speak,
to rise, to throw back some semblance of control, but
Elijah stopped him. Not spe only listen.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
You will not moves book, you will not rise again
you will lie.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
The silence pressed down, thick and suffocating. A Hassaiah's lips parted,
a whisper of something, fear, maybe a plea that Elijah
was already turning, already gone. Elijah and Elisha had left
(23:09):
the king's presence, widening the distance between them and the
palace walls. The sun was setting, painting crimson hues over
the dry hills of summer. They sat on a stone,
resting upon a hill. Elishah sat beside his master, looking
out over the city. What fuels your rage?
Speaker 5 (23:33):
At first, it was the blatant corruption, the taxes, the
way the kings paid little regard for the people, injustice.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Elijah pursed his lips, searching his heart for the right
words to answer his apprentice.
Speaker 5 (23:52):
Aheb jezebel Ahiah, are not the true enemy. They were
never the disease, Elisia. They they were only symptoms. What
do you mean? The true enemy is older than Israel,
older than these kingdom, older than the altars of Baale,
(24:16):
ancient evil. It slithered into the garden. It whispered to
our first mother, and coiled around our first father.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
Elisha swallowed hard the words stirred something in him, something deep,
something older than his own lifetime memories. Sitting at his
father's feet as a boy, his father's voice slow and steady,
reading from the words of Moses. The serpent was more
(24:52):
cunning than any beast of the field. Did God really
say you will not surely die? They seemed like stories,
but Elijah knew they weren't fairy tales. Elijah exhaled, his
gaze fixed on the darkened horizon.
Speaker 5 (25:11):
The people refused to see it. They refused to listen.
The Lord brought us out of Egypt, He split the sea,
He fed us in the wilderness, and led a covenant
with us in fire and blood. He has shone himself
again and again and again, and still still. They run
(25:37):
to the gods of the nations, to the empty idols,
to their tombs, same lies, different skins.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Elijah's hands tightened into fists.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
They could not see it, Elisha, They could not see
that the Lord is doing something with our people. He
led us to this befory. The story is much bigger
than what is front of our eyes. They are like
our forefathers in the wilderness. There they are blind.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
The wind pressed against them, cold and restless. Then Elijah turned,
and for the first time in all their years together,
Elisha saw something in his master's eyes he had never
seen before. Not rage, not even sorrow. Hope, but you
(26:34):
you will sauvi mya printless Elishah's chest tightened. Elijah exhaled,
looking up toward the sky. The clouds were parting, silver
light breaking through, illuminating the tired, weathered lines of his face.
(26:56):
Your time is soon, Elisha looked up at him. The
wind howled, and the night held its breath.
Speaker 8 (27:15):
If your faith has been kindled by this podcast and
it has affected your life, we'd love it if you
left her review. We read them, and me personally I
cherish them as you venture forth boldly and faithfully. I
leave you with the biblical blessing from numbers six IV
Hashem vishmerechra yeah heer hashempanave e y sa Hashempana.
Speaker 9 (27:44):
Shalon.
Speaker 8 (27:45):
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the
Lord make his face shine upon you. May he be
gracious to you. Made the Lord turn his face towards
you and give you peace.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
Amen. You can listen to the Chosen People with yle
Eckstein ad free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey
dot Com app today. This Prey dog comproduction is only
made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Gattina,
Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive
(28:17):
producers of The Chosen People with Yiele Eckstein, edited by
Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by
Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvado, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold,
Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Leshinsky,
(28:38):
and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. Music
by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, bre Rosalie
and Chris Baig. Special thanks to Bishop Paulinier, Robin van Ettin,
kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, Rabbi Edward Abramson, and the team
at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear
(28:59):
more all Prey dot Com productions on the Prey dot
Com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google
Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein.
Please rate and leave a review.
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