Rev. Tom Lovorn, Th.D.
Q. Why aren’t Elijah and Elisha considered “Major Prophets”? Russell Brandon, Anchorage, Alaska
A. I take it that you’re speaking of the usual 5 divisions of the Old Testament as being books of Law, History, Wisdom (or Poetical), Major Prophets, and Minor Prophets. We know the books called “Law” also contain the early history of Creation, Fall, Flood, Division of Nations, and the story of Abraham. That classification is called Law because the larger subject portion of those first 5 books of the Bible detail the laws God gave to Israel. Those books, also, are called the Pentateuch (5 books) and believed to be written originally by Moses.
The distinction between the Major and Minor Prophets is largely due to the length of their writings. Since Elijah and Elisha were not writing prophets, they are not included in the division called Major Prophets.
However, Elijah and his protégé Elisha are, indeed, major characters in the early history of the Kingdom of Israel. They are called miracle-working prophets of whom Elijah is considered the first, but actually Elisha has more miracles recorded than Elijah. They ministered at a time when Israel was slipping rapidly into apostasy. God allowed supernatural acts to confirm their ministries as they confronted evil where they found it. Most often, it was their kings who were leading their people farther from God’s ideals.
The New Testament does not dwell so much on the individuals, Moses and Elijah, as on the groups they typify. Moses represents all the requirements of holiness to be practiced from God’s laws. Elijah represents all the prophecies the coming Messiah would fulfill. Many of those prophecies were actually stated years after Elijah in the periods of the major and minor prophets.
These Godly men, Moses and Elijah, appeared at the Transfiguration of Jesus and are thought to be the Two Olive Trees of Zechariah 4 and the future Two Witnesses of Revelation 11. They give testimony that Jesus is the promised Jewish Messiah because he kept all the laws and fulfilled all the prophecies required for his first coming. Regardless of how they are classified, Elijah and Elisha are major prophets in the Bible account.
•The Rev. Dr. Tom Lovorn is pastor of God’s Storehouse Baptist Church in Richmond and he writes a weekly question and answer column for The Progress-Index. Columns are real questions from readers around the world. “Dr. Tom”, a Petersburg resident, is a long-time columnist with The Progress-Index and a former pastor in the Petersburg community.
