Many of you know that I find Biblical foreshadows, or types, fascinating. And there are so many in the Bible. One of my favorites is Abraham, the father, offering to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on Mount Moriah. Abraham is a type of God the Father and Isaac, God the Son. The place chosen by God, Mount Moriah, is the same place where the Temple was built, where sacrifices for sin were offered. Geologically Calvary, or Golgotha, is on the same mount also. So you can see the foreshadow of the wonderful, gracious sacrifice made by God some 2000 years after Abraham and Isaac.

We are familiar with the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Elijah challenged them to call for their god to burn their offering with fire. There were 450 Baal prophets who prayed, cried and strained all day long, but to no avail. After dousing his sacrifice with twelve large jars of water, Elijah called upon the Lord to burn the sacrifice with fire from Heaven. The fire from the Lord not only burned the sacrifice, it also burned the wood, the stones that comprised the altar, and the soil and water around the altar. The people (somehow) were convinced that God was the true God and that Baal was a false god. They turned on the prophets of Baal and slaughtered them in the Kishon Valley.

The Kishon Valley is also where the men of Israel, led by Deborah the Judge, defeated Sisera and his troops many years before. Perhaps this is another foreshadow.

Another name for the Kishon Valley is the Valley of Jezreel or the Valley of Megiddo. The Valley of Megiddo is just below the mount of Megiddo. In Hebrew the word "mount" is "har". So the mount of Megiddo would be Har Megiddo or Armageddon.

It appears that the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal is a foreshadow of the Great Tribulation. Evil worked all day until the time of evening sacrifice (the appointed time). At that time fire came down from Heaven. The evildoers were slaughtered and their blood flowed in the Valley of Megiddo. This is as is described in the Revelation. Those who rebel against the Lord will be destroyed at Armageddon. The Lord was victorious at Mount Carmel and He will be victorious at Armageddon.

It is thought that Elijah will be one of the Two Witnesses described in the Revelation. TheTwo Witnesses perform miraculous works for one-half of the Tribulation period. Elijah was silent for one-half of the day, until Noon. If he is one of the Two Witnesses his morning silence may indicate that he and the other Witness (thought to be Moses) will work for the Lord in the second half of the Great Tribulation.

The Lord uses historic events to show us what will happen in the future. Praise His Name.