Saint Ilya is the most revered by people of the prophets, as he is the second through whom the Lord addressed the earthly inhabitants. The first was Moses. He is also one of those whom God took to him, leaving no witnesses to this action. The airborne troops consider St. Ilya their patron and intercessor.
The icon "Elijah the Prophet" contributes to the successful outcome of any work that has been started, but it is believed that most of all the saint helps in agricultural matters. He is being asked to send rain during drought or clear weather during heavy rains. Also, the prophet can save the prayer before his icon from disturbing diseases. It takes anger out of people's hearts and promotes a peaceful family atmosphere.
What temples have the icon of the Holy Prophet?
"Saint Ilya the Prophet" is an icon whose significance is so great that it makes it the most famous and revered. It is located in a church named after the same saint in Moscow in Obydensky Lane. On the 20 hallmarks that adorn the image, the most important moments of life are preserved. The icon is the main one in the temple. Here is another, no less revered Orthodox icon of Elijah the Prophet, which was created on the bicentennial anniversary of the temple in the early 20th century. The name of the icon is "Christmas time prophet Elijah in the desert."
The temple of the Prophet of God Elijah, located in the Novgorod region, is another place where the saint is honored. Here are 2 icons, one of which was created more than two centuries ago, it is they who carry during the procession. And the other icon is only 15 years old (date of creation - 2000), but the locals love it very much, calling it miraculous.
Temple of Elijah the Prophet on Mount Carmel in Israel
For several centuries in a row, pilgrims from all over the world have been on Mount Carmel to touch the shrines associated with the prophet. The place for the temple was not chosen by chance, because it was in the cave of this mountain that Ilya hid from his persecutors for a long time, and here he defeated the pagan priest. The temple was built right above the cave in the shape of a cross.
In the courtyard there is a small altar, similar to the one that Ilya created in his time. Nearby is a neat statue of a prophet who brought his hand with a blade over a pagan priest. When the Arab army of Muslims was at war with the Jews, they cut off the hand of the statue, believing that it helps all the people in the war. The temple was built relatively recently - in the first quarter of the 20th century, on the day of memory of St. Elijah. Believers flock here every year to pray or baptize children.
How and why they revered Saint Elijah in Russia
He became one of the first to be worshiped in Russia. Temples were erected in his honor, the first in Kiev back in the 9th century, and Princess Olga ordered the construction of a church in the northern part of Russia, in the village of Vybuty. Elijah was considered and continues to be considered to be an original Russian saint who understands the problems and sorrows of his people.
Ilyin’s day, celebrated by believers on August 2, is considered the demarcation of the seasons. Although it’s also summer, but in the middle zone of Russia after this date they don’t bathe in ponds and, as a rule, get colder, it becomes rainy. On this day they asked the saint for a good harvest, and the girls prayed to give them a betrothed, with whom they would go down the aisle.
How does the icon "Elijah the Prophet" help?
At all times, Russian peasants prayed to Elijah to bless them on plowing the land. Saint Ilya the Prophet, whose icon was in every house, has always been considered a great miracle worker, a thunderer who can control the elements, especially rain. When people worry about the wealth of the crop, so that it does not dry out or, on the contrary, is not flooded, they earnestly pray to the prophet Elijah.
The icon "Ilya the Prophet" helps to cope with any difficulties, whether it is a lack of material wealth, mental and physical illnesses. She is also able to ward off sudden death from a person. Believers are constantly convinced of this.
Icons depicting a prophet
The very first icon "Elijah the Prophet" was painted in the early Byzantine period. On it, the saint appears as a stern man with a piercing gaze of brown eyes, dressed in a woolen cloak. The prophet has long hair and a magnificent beard. Often Ilya was put on a hat made of wool, and a dagger was put into his hands, thus conveying his strength and rage, addressed to other believers. In those days, almost every saint was portrayed with weapons in their hands.
There are two radically different ways of writing a prophet, as they are tied to different periods of his life. Some icon painters depict him in thought, namely, sitting on a stone in the desert and looking around, while a raven gets him food. A legend written on this subject says that the essence of this picture is that St. Ilya hears a divine voice through the thickness of earthly problems and thoughts.
Another option is Ilya the Prophet at the time of transition to the Kingdom of Heaven. He is portrayed soaring with a cloud in his legs, his gaze is turned to heaven, but sometimes he also looks at the abandoned earth. It is on these icons that the prophet passes his shroud to the most reliable follower - Elisha. "Saint Ilya the Prophet" - an icon whose meaning is to reflect all the key moments of life in one image, is written with multiple hallmarks on which you can see a conversation with the Lord, a victory over pagan priests, the revitalization of a person.
DIY prophet icon
In modern days, ready-made icons in various designs can be purchased everywhere: in church shops, in jewelry stores, you can order it from icon painters on Internet sites, or you can do it yourself. The icon made by the beads "Ilya the Prophet" is the best that almost everyone can do to pay tribute to the saint. The main thing to remember is that before starting this work, you must receive a church blessing. A sketch that you need to work on can be purchased in shops at the church or in online stores. After the icon is ready, it should be consecrated and charged with church power. During needlework, one can read the prayers of Elijah the Prophet. There is no doubt that the icon, created with their own hands, will have no less miraculous power than those that are in temples or sold in church shops.