Akathist to the Great Prophet Elijah the Tishbite
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Thy most pure Mother and of all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, who art everywhere present and fillest all things with Thy grace, Treasury of good things and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O Good One. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice) Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, deliver us and release us from our sins; O Master, pardon our iniquities; O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name’s sake. Lord, have mercy. (Thrice) Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O come, let us worship God our King. O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King and God. O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and our God.
The angel in the flesh and chief of the prophets, the second forerunner of the coming of Christ, the all-glorious Elijah, sent down grace from on high to Elisha to drive away sicknesses and to cleanse lepers; and for those who honour him he maketh healing and great mercy spring forth.
O prophet and seer of the mighty works of our God, greatly renowned Elijah, who by thy word didst hold back the rain-bearing clouds, intercede for us with the only Lover of mankind.
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of thy compassions blot out my transgression. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I am conscious of mine iniquity; and my sin is continually before me. Against thee only have I sinned, and done evil before thee: that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. For, behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother conceive me. For, behold, thou lovest truth: thou hast manifested to me the secret and hidden things of thy wisdom. Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be purified: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. Thou shalt cause me to hear gladness and joy: the afflicted bones shall rejoice. Turn away thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit in my inward parts. Cast me not away from thy presence; and remove not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation: establish me with thy directing Spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and ungodly men shall turn to thee. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation: and my tongue shall joyfully declare thy righteousness. O Lord, thou shalt open my lips; and my mouth shall declare thy praise. For if thou desiredst sacrifice, I would have given it: thou wilt not take pleasure in whole-burnt-offerings. Sacrifice to God is a broken spirit: a broken and humbled heart God will not despise. Do good, O Lord, to Sion in thy good pleasure; and let the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then shalt thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, offering, and whole-burnt-sacrifices: then shall they offer calves upon thine altar.
To the strength of Israel given from heaven and the fervent intercessor of Christians we sing and adorn thy holiness; and do thou, as thou hast great boldness, entreat the good God to have mercy on us and deliver us from all temptations and trials, that we may not fall into the snare of the enemy, but, kept unharmed, be made worthy to sing to thee: Rejoice, O prophet and herald of the Old and the New Law, wonderworking Elijah!
The Creator of the angels knew thee beforehand in thy mother’s womb and sent thee forth to teach the king and people of Israel His law and strengthen them to keep His commandments; and thou didst take upon thyself persecutions for the faith from impious kings and didst crush their designs by the power of the Spirit; therefore we adorn thee, the fervent zealot and master of the passions, the great prophet Elijah the Tishbite, as a radiant luminary of the world and the second forerunner of Christ’s second coming on earth:
Rejoice, fruitful branch sprung from priestly roots; rejoice, lover of humility and reverence from infancy; rejoice, zealous keeper of purity of soul and body from thy youth; rejoice, thou who wast called by the Lord as prophet and priest; rejoice, thou who by thy struggle and the grace of the Lord didst attain the measure of holiness; rejoice, thou who didst shine forth in virtue among Israel; rejoice, thou who wast glorified by the Lord with many miracles; rejoice, thou who with the dawn of wonders enlightenest hearts darkened by unbelief; rejoice, thou who by unceasing prayer quenchest the temptations of the devil and his raging snares; rejoice, thou who blottest out evil habits of every kind; rejoice, mighty vanquisher of vices; rejoice, thou who like Abel wast justified and wast caught up in a chariot of fire to the heavenly city; Rejoice, O prophet and herald of the Old and the New Law, wonderworking Elijah!
When Ahab reigned over Israel, he did evil before the Lord to provoke Him, for he took to wife Jezebel, the daughter of a heathen king, and denying God his Creator he worshipped Baal, and leading Israel astray he turned it to soulless idols; and thou, seeing that unseemly deed, wast shaken with zeal for the Lord, and leaving thy father’s house thou didst struggle spiritually before God, and the fragrance of thy prayers ever rose before Him like sweet incense: Alleluia.
When Jezebel in bestial fury slew the prophets of the Lord, the divine punishment of vengeance was revealed to thee beforehand, O God-beloved Elijah; and when thou didst stand before Ahab as a reprover, and they would not receive the word of truth but remained in their hardness, then with one word thou didst shut the heaven and hold back dew and rain to bring the wicked to understanding, that all Israel might know God and turn by prayer to the Creator. So we too have angered the Lord by an evil life and a defiled mind and unclean conduct; but intercede before Him that He may plant in us fear and hatred of sin and love of virtue, and that we may say with longing:
Rejoice, thou who with purified spirit didst offer to God thy spotless life as a holy sacrifice; rejoice, thou who with divinely speaking mouth speakest beyond the orators and utterest heavenly teachings; rejoice, preacher of the glory of God and teacher of repentance; rejoice, thou who by thy divine and wise words didst reprove kings; rejoice, for though thou wast a man of earth, yet as God’s most chosen servant thou didst live in corruptible flesh like an angel; rejoice, ever-watchful one, for by grace thou didst appear as a singing instrument of the jealous God, who thus judged them and revealed it to thee; rejoice, thou who wast well armed with the power of God, for thou didst strengthen thine arms like a valiant warrior; rejoice, for thou didst blow the pipe, O hymned one, with that divine voice, and thy word thundered to the ends of the world; rejoice, thou who wast anointed with divine grace, for thou didst keep the faith with reverence and didst restrain those who rose up to assail the word of salvation; rejoice, thou who wast adorned with impartial righteousness, who didst swear by the life of the Lord that there should be no rain upon the earth but according to thy word; rejoice, wondrous helper in time of drought, for the Lord fulfilled thy will, that all men might understand what power He giveth to His faithful; rejoice, vanquisher of those who assail God, for He did not loose what thou hadst decreed, but set thee above all His creatures and gave thee authority over the clouds; Rejoice, O prophet and herald of the Old and the New Law, wonderworking Elijah!
Behold the help of the Most High to those who do His will! For when that word went forth from thy mouth like a consuming fire, at once the heaven was sealed and rain came not down upon the earth, and every delight of men dried up and vanished; then the Lord sent thee to the brook Cherith, near the Jordan, and commanded the ravens to feed thee; and dwelling in the cave, by God’s providence thou didst find water in the torrent, and the dumb raven twice brought thee food, which was truly a wonder, and thou didst offer thanks and glory to God: Alleluia.
Though all things were perishing at thy word and those who remained grew weak with hunger, the wrath of thine indignation did not abate, nor didst thou loose the clouds to bring forth rain; then the archangels with the angels were amazed, and going up to the Lord to accuse thee they cried: “Tell us, O Lord, whether the end of the earth hath truly drawn near, for its dwellers cry to Thee and Thou hearest not their entreaty; but if Thou lovest this man more than the ranks of heaven, take him up, that all the earth may be rescued from before his face.” And the Lord Almighty answered: “The power and authority of Elijah are like his faithfulness and patience, for I have chosen a righteous man rather than the sons of Israel, who give My glory to demons.” Therefore we entreat thee with fear, O Elijah: destroy not our land for the unrighteousness and lawlessness of its dwellers, but lead us up out of our sins, that until our last breath we may stand firm and unshaken on the path of truth and say this praise of thanksgiving:
Rejoice, thou who boastest in God, for the Lord did not withstand thee but granted thee the grace to shut and open the heavens; rejoice, most valiant struggler, for when the divine archangel brought down a cloud without dew and rain, at thy stern word they turned back and stood before the Captain of the hosts of heaven; rejoice, spotless man, for the archangel came to thee and said in amazement: “With whom dost thou reckon thyself equal, Elijah? If thou art of heaven, why hast thou brought to nought the ordering of the earth, and if thou art of earth, why hast thou held back the clouds from rain?”; rejoice, for the captain of the immaterial host entreated thee, wishing to bend thy severity, that thou wouldst loose the curse thou hadst decreed upon the house of Ahab and his people; rejoice, for when thou, a father equal to the angels, didst hear the voice of the angel, thou didst open thy mouth and say: “The word of my mouth is a consuming fire and I will not repent until I have avenged God and held back from them the dew of heaven and parched the face of the earth”; rejoice, for when the leader of the bodiless ones of heaven heard it, he said to thee: “O earth and thou of the earth, who taught thee to swear by the life of the Lord? For we, the angels of heaven, cannot swear by His salvation”; rejoice, for thou didst open thy mouth and answer: “Boast not now over me because thou art an angel and wast created of fire; for into me God breathed from heaven a living and speaking soul, and therefore I have power and authority to smite the earth”; rejoice, for after this the earth began to entreat thee and said: “As a mother entreateth her child, have mercy on me and on my dwellers, and destroy not the righteous because of sinners”; rejoice, for God in His love for mankind was pleased to give rain, yet did not force thee; rejoice, for thou didst not wish thy Lord to entreat thee to give rain to the earth; rejoice, thou who wast consumed with zeal for piety, who cried again to the Merciful One: “Be angry with the unbelieving, O Judge of righteousness”; rejoice, for God stopped the ravens from serving thee, that thou mightest loose the bond of the curse; Rejoice, O prophet and herald of the Old and the New Law, wonderworking Elijah!
Seeing the ravens delay, thou didst go down to drink water, but at once the earth swallowed up the spring; and understanding the power of God, thou didst cry to Him with fervent tears: “If Thou willest to have mercy on Thy creatures, I will no more dare to oppose Thee; but I fear, for I have sworn by Thy holy name; yet if Thou forgivest me this oath, I too will do Thy will and loose the bond of the curse, that all the world may know Thy mercy and goodness and bring Thee the gift of praise as a sacrifice”: Alleluia.
Worn out by hunger, thou didst go forth to seek food, and by the command of God didst go to Zarephath of Sidon; and seeing a widow gathering sticks, thou didst ask her first for water and then for food. And behold, how shall we praise that poor widow! For she honoured hospitality, and having but a little food, she brought thee what she had; therefore her provision was multiplied until the rain came. And when the widow’s son died and she hoped with tears for thy help, thou didst not disregard her tears, and raising the child from the dead thou didst turn her mourning into joy. Now also bring to life my soul, dead through sins, and enlighten the understanding of me who praise thee:
Rejoice, unfailing fountain that pourest forth teachings profitable to souls; rejoice, thou who showest the straight path to the hopeless and the erring; rejoice, thou who by trials and sorrows turnest men to God; rejoice, thou who sheddest grace-filled joy upon those who love God; rejoice, swift comforter in time of famine; rejoice, thou who by ineffable holiness givest an example to the clergy; rejoice, raiser of the dead and deliverer of men from sicknesses; rejoice, cleanser of souls defiled and much-sinning; rejoice, thou who makest the labourers fruitful and feedest the hungry; rejoice, thou who drivest away the darkness of senselessness; rejoice, renewer of failing faith; rejoice, thou who rousest the people from spiritual sleep and deliverest them from sloth; Rejoice, O prophet and herald of the Old and the New Law, wonderworking Elijah!
When the wrath from on high had lasted three years, by divine command thou didst go to reprove Ahab; and he looked upon thee and said in anger: “Art thou he that troubleth Israel?” But thou didst reprove him impartially, and gathering all the people and the false prophets on Mount Carmel thou didst say to that assembly of blasphemers of God: “Behold, let us each offer a bullock; let us lay the wood without fire and call on the name of our God, and the God that answereth by fire, let him be the true God; and if the Lord be God, follow Him, O people of Israel, and all give thanks and sing to His might”: Alleluia.
First the priests of Baal called on the name of the idol and offered the bullock, and they were put to shame and trembled, for there was none that heard them; and when their hope was proved false, thou didst repair the broken altar of the Lord and lay the sacrificial bullock upon the wood, pour water round about the altar and ask of God that the bullock be accepted; then the Lord heard thine entreaty, and at once fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice and the wood entirely; and the trembling people knew the God of Israel and sang to thee and called thee blessed as one who leadeth to God:
Rejoice, thou who from Carmel sheddest inexhaustible graces; rejoice, thou who kindlest fire in the midst of waters; rejoice, thou who blottest out every impure way of life; rejoice, thou who restrainest the unbridled to the glory of the Lord’s name; rejoice, thou who overthrowest the insolence of transgressors of the law; rejoice, thou who openest the eyes of souls blinded by sins; rejoice, thou who puttest to shame kings and peoples who have gone evilly astray; rejoice, thou who bringest shame on the assembly of idolaters; rejoice, thou who leadest the unbelieving onto the path of truth; rejoice, thou who fillest lovers of holiness with hope; rejoice, thou who bountifully grantest saving gifts; rejoice, thou who loosest the curse and givest blessing; Rejoice, O prophet and herald of the Old and the New Law, wonderworking Elijah!
Having uprooted the delusion of heresy, thou didst teach Israel impartial judgement and say to the people and the king: “Take the priests of shame, and let not one of them escape from your hands”; and as a valiant struggler thou didst arm thine arms to slay the adversaries of God and didst crush the corrupters of the people who ate at Jezebel’s table; yet the sentence of their death was not thine but God’s. Therefore we move thee to intercede with Him to remove from us all godless and lying rulers and their unworthy counsellors, forerunners of our desolation and impoverishment, that we may not bend to lawlessness at the will of the ungodly, but ever glorify the Lord, the Creator of all: Alleluia.
Made worthy of surpassing grace, thou didst still the Creator’s wrath by slaying the unclean priests, and falling down on the top of Carmel thou didst lift thine eyes to heaven and by fervent prayer didst bring forth a cloud that sent down rain; then King Ahab wept for joy, but the shameless Jezebel raged all the more and sought to kill thee, because thou hadst brought death upon her priests according to just judgement. But we no longer have a ruler and leader, nor can we withstand the heathen and the heretics; therefore entreat God to quench the mystery of lawlessness stirred up against our beloved people, which is “the abomination of desolation” that defileth the holy place, and to grant us worthy fathers and wise leaders, that Georgia, this land allotted to the Theotokos, may not be utterly destroyed, but that we all may do justice and offer in humility such hymns as these:
Rejoice, thou who by the shining of truth destroyest the rulers of darkness and vanquishest the wicked; rejoice, destroyer of the sorcery of magicians; rejoice, thou who breakest down the middle wall of partition; rejoice, thou who fillest the vaults of heaven with cloud; rejoice, thou who exposest their mockery by victory; rejoice, feeder of orphans and benefactor of the destitute and poor; rejoice, terror of those who rage in vicious and satanic defilement; rejoice, rebuker of those who craftily corrupt the Lord’s people; rejoice, thou who by thy prayer breakest the power of the insolent lawless; rejoice, thou who makest heretics and transgressors of the law tremble; rejoice, thou who rendest the bonds of the curse, for the Lord did not open thy shut heavens without thee, but by His providence brought thee to entreat Him; rejoice, for by thy prayer thou didst open the windows of heaven and deliver the earth from drought; Rejoice, O prophet and herald of the Old and the New Law, wonderworking Elijah!
Thou who by thy word didst hold back the rain-bearing cloud, when thou didst hear that the unworthy queen Jezebel sought to kill thee, didst escape her wrath and wander in the wilderness, and an angel of the Lord brought thee food without toil, that thou mightest have a little rest from the hardship of the journey of forty days; and having made known to thee all the command of God, thou didst go to Horeb, the mount of God, and sing to His goodness: Alleluia.
Going up the mountain thou didst find a cave and enter it, and behold, at once the blessed voice of the Lord came to thee: “What doest thou here, Elijah?” And when thou didst answer: “The children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, and I only am left, and they seek my life to take it away”, the Lord appeared to thee not in the wind nor in the earthquake nor in the fire, but instructed thee in a still small voice, and comforted thee, and told thee of seven thousand men who had not bowed the knee to Baal, and commanded thee to seek Elisha, to anoint him prophet in thy stead. So now also entreat God that in the furnace of temptations and afflictions He may sprinkle us too with the dew of thy grace, that our hearts may not be cold to hear divine teachings and to offer the hymn:
Rejoice, pearl of great price, adorned with the grace of priesthood; rejoice, great luminary of the prophets, for thou didst take up the zeal of Moses and like him didst see the Invisible and speak with the Lord; rejoice, for death seemed to thee better than life among blasphemous and vain men; rejoice, image of desert-dwellers, revealed by thy stern asceticism; rejoice, wall and hope of God-fearing priests; rejoice, thou who burnest evil spirits and uprootest the shoots of heretics; rejoice, leader of those who have withdrawn from the world and of all who are directed towards heaven; rejoice, slayer of the godless heathen and thou who stretchest out a hand to the faithful; rejoice, divine mediator between God and men; rejoice, thou who makest spiritual fruits spring forth; rejoice, comforter of the grieving and heavy laden; rejoice, unmercenary physician of bodies and souls; Rejoice, O prophet and herald of the Old and the New Law, wonderworking Elijah!
Coming down from the mountain, holy Elijah, like Moses from the divine cloud, thou didst go and find Elisha ploughing the earth with twelve yoke of oxen, and when thou didst cast thy mantle upon him, he left his work and his parents and followed thee eagerly; and thou, O blessed one, didst instruct him and kindle him with zeal. So now also be our companion and grant us the fervour of faith, that we may pass well along the way of this transient life and offer thanks and glory to God: Alleluia.
When thou didst reprove King Ahab and his lawless wife for the killing of Naboth and the seizing of his vineyard, thou didst foretell his ruin in the place where dogs and swine would lick his blood, and of Jezebel thou didst declare that dogs would eat her by the wall of Naboth’s field; but have mercy on us, and entreat God not to requite us justly for our evil deeds, but to remove from us the temptation of the love of money and grant forgiveness of sins to us who praise thee:
Rejoice, angel of earth and wondrous man of heaven; rejoice, great initiate of the Almighty; rejoice, thou who wast sent from on high to cleanse Israel and strengthen the holy kingdom; rejoice, great righteous judge and enlightener of the chosen people; rejoice, dweller in the wilderness made radiant by the vision of God; rejoice, unhewn rock of the right faith; rejoice, boundary of the law and sharpened sword of God; rejoice, thou who with firm faith exposest the tyrants of ungodliness; rejoice, strength and strengthener of the sceptre of kings; rejoice, shield that guardest piety; rejoice, praise and glory of thy fatherland; rejoice, thou who sendest down dew and abundance of fruits and plenty of harvests; Rejoice, O prophet and herald of the Old and the New Law, wonderworking Elijah!
When the voice of thy reproof came to Ahab, he rent his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted with weeping and grief; then the Lord pardoned him and did not send evil upon him while he was humbled. So also make the righteous Judge, the Lord, merciful to me, that He may direct me on the saving path of repentance, that with an unashamed and joyful face I may glorify the Giver of light and Creator of the ages: Alleluia.
When the Assyrians rose up to war against the Israelites, the false prophets said to the king of Israel: “Go up, and the Lord will give thee victory over thine enemies”; but Micaiah alone prophesied the death of Ahab, and for this they seized him and cast him into prison; and when Ahab went into battle, he was pierced by an arrow, and swine and dogs licked his blood according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by thy mouth, O prophet Elijah. But now turn aside from us the terror of divine judgement for our lawlessness, and grant mercy to us who sing to thee:
Rejoice, thou who by thy courage of spirit givest an example to the faint-hearted; rejoice, thou who teachest sin-loving men the sweetness of self-restraint; rejoice, thou who puttest to shame the lovers of money and the greedy; rejoice, thou who art mighty in spirit and overcomest rulers mighty in the flesh; rejoice, thou who through repentance rescuest from the dread wrath justly come; rejoice, thou who overthrowest and scatterest those in sheep’s clothing who inwardly are wolves serving as priests; rejoice, thou who dispellest the disobedience of the stiff-necked; rejoice, thou who breakest down the insolence of Ahab and Jezebel; rejoice, thou who turnest their revelry into sorrow; rejoice, deliverer from every evil work of the devil and from the stirrings of the flesh; rejoice, thou who rescuest from paths that lead to perdition; rejoice, thou who loosest our curses and openest the gates of repentance; Rejoice, O prophet and herald of the Old and the New Law, wonderworking Elijah!
When Ahaziah reigned, he walked in the way of his father and mother, who had led Israel astray, for he worshipped idols and provoked the Lord more than all the kings before him; but he fell sick and sent men to inquire of Baal whether he would escape that grievous sickness; then the angel of the Lord sent thee to say to his servants: “Why go ye to inquire of Baal, a dumb and soulless idol? Is there no God in Israel? Therefore thus saith the Lord to him: Thou shalt die of this sickness.” So now direct us too on the path of righteousness, that thy wrath may not come upon us and that we may praise God in spirit and in truth: Alleluia.
When Ahaziah learned how thou hadst reproved his messengers, he trembled and commanded a captain to bring thee to him; but thou didst rain fire from heaven to consume twice fifty of his soldiers, and by the command of God standing before that lawless king thou didst fearlessly reprove him and foretell his punishment and death; yet thy reproof did not stay his deeds, and the unrighteous one died according to the command of the Lord. To Him we send thee to intercede, that He may give us an understanding and wise heart to discern good and evil, that we may struggle courageously against the passions and be made worthy to offer the hymn:
Rejoice, burning lamp that enlightenest the wise and burnest the foolish; rejoice, thou who with the sword of reproof didst destroy his servants; rejoice, thou who makest the senseless wise and instructest them in godliness; rejoice, thou who bringest to life the broken spirit of the fatherland; rejoice, thou who castest down those treacherous deceivers who craftily destroy their own kin; rejoice, thou who undoest the many contrived arts of the devil; rejoice, thou who cuttest off the wantonness of kings and the mercilessness of judges; rejoice, thou who by the power of thy spirit overthrowest the haughty and the proud; rejoice, thou who strikest terror into and mortifiest the double-minded and the blasphemers; rejoice, thou who turnest the guilty to repentance; rejoice, thou who stretchest out a hand to the afflicted and ill-fated; rejoice, thou who leadest in peace into the haven of eternal life; Rejoice, O prophet and herald of the Old and the New Law, wonderworking Elijah!
Having finished well the course of thy struggle, and knowing that thou wouldst be taken up by the Lord to heaven, thou didst go with Elisha to the Jordan, and dividing the river with thy mantle ye went over on dry ground, and thou didst say to thy disciple: “If thou see me when I am taken from thee, a double portion of my spirit shall be upon thee”; and both of you together glorified and sang to God: Alleluia.
Thou wast caught up in a chariot and horses of fire into heaven, and Elisha, seeing thee going up to heaven, stretched out his hands to receive thy mantle and cried: “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horseman of God!” Then thou didst cast down thy garment, and when thy disciple took it he received a double portion of divine grace, and smiting the water twice he divided it and went over on dry ground; and when the sons of the prophets saw all this, they said to one another: “Now the spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha!” and they came to meet him with joy and praised thy prophecy and wondrous power:
Rejoice, man who hast gone up into heaven and standest before the Trinity, for thou, corruptible, hast put on incorruption and with all the saints drawest near to His ineffable glory; rejoice, thou who art blessed by the power of the Most High, for with Moses thou didst see on Tabor the incarnate Lord, whom eye hath not seen nor ear heard, and the apostles, seeing you in the flesh as servants before your Lord, rejoiced; rejoice, for the leaders of the Old Law and the leaders of the New Law looked upon one another, and thou who wast taken up in a chariot of fire didst behold him who leaned on the breast of the Flame; rejoice, for when Simon Peter said to Jesus: It is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles, one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah, at once a cloud overshadowed them; rejoice, for behold, ye heard a voice out of the cloud, which said: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him; and at the thunder and that voice the earth shook and the apostles fell for fear, and Moses returned to his place and thou to the earth; rejoice, for until then Simon Peter still thought Jesus a man and counted Him with you, but from the voice of the Father he understood the incarnation of Christ, which had been hidden from them; rejoice, for by that word He again made known to you the fulfilment of His dispensation and commanded you to obey Jesus, that as ye were commanded, so ye might preach; rejoice, for that mountain became a figure of the Church, where Jesus united both the Covenants, and thus the Church received them, and we have known that He is the Giver of both Covenants; rejoice, thou who art truly called father of Israel and prophet, for the Jews, guarding as a great treasure thy mantle clothed with a double power, brought it to Mtskheta and buried that holy thing beneath stones, incorrupt until its time; rejoice, for God kept that holy thing and from the depth of the earth made to spring forth a wonderworking water, from which He again poureth forth healing; rejoice, for in that holy city is the royal garment of the Son of God, the Robe without seam woven by the Theotokos, which those who crucified Christ parted among them and which afterwards by lot fell to Elioz of Mtskheta and Longinoz of Karsani, Jews of Mtskheta; rejoice, for our hearts ever long to go to “the mother of all churches, Svetitskhoveli”, that we may fervently embrace these holy things and be filled with healing, we who sing to thee: Rejoice, O prophet and herald of the Old and the New Law, wonderworking Elijah!
By purity of spirit, like righteous Enoch, thou didst please God, and He granted you the grace not to see death until you preach at the time of the coming of Antichrist; neither he nor any other shall harm you, Enoch and Elijah, until ye have fulfilled the time of your prophecy; but when that assailant beginneth to rule and to oppose God, he shall exalt and magnify himself, even to entering and sitting in the temple of God; yet ye will not give him glory, and therefore he shall make war with you and kill you in Jerusalem; but your bodies shall not be laid in graves, for the Lord shall raise you from the dead on the third day and catch you up in a cloud to heaven, that joined with the angels and the choirs of the saints ye may glorify God for ever: Alleluia.
When that foul deceiver, the Antichrist, appeareth mightier in sorcery than all sorcerers and poisoners, then God will arm thee with Enoch with every miracle, O most blessed Elijah, and send you before his coming, to tell all the nations of the two comings of our Lord and Deliverer Jesus Christ, and turning them to repentance to deliver them from bondage to the son of perdition, that ye may put the deceiver to shame and comfort the faithful. But even now the counsel of lawlessness hath grown strong, and I too, overcome by the assaults of sloth, tremble at the awaited day of Christ’s second coming in glory, for I have gained no work by which I might be justified before His throne; therefore strengthen me with power from on high, that I may be strong in the grace of Jesus Christ and say with thankfulness:
Rejoice, for when the man of lawlessness appeareth with all the power and signs of the devil, ye two prophets and anointed ones of God will come to the ends of the world; rejoice, ye who, clothed in sackcloth, will foretell the life-giving coming of Christ from heaven, lest He come and smite the earth altogether; rejoice, ye citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem, for the blessing and grace of the King of heaven and earth resteth upon you, and by your coming He maketh known to us that the time is near; rejoice, for when he draweth men away from eternal life with promises of passing honour, ye will restrain them for a thousand two hundred and threescore days and fence them about with the power of God; rejoice, for ye will have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of your prophecy; rejoice, ye amazing witnesses, for when ye have finished your course, “the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit” shall torment you, and when ye are slain by him in the street of Jerusalem, where Jesus was crucified, He will raise you from the dead and take you up in a cloud to heaven; rejoice, for when your enemies behold you, in that day there will be a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city will fall, and the rest will be affrighted and give glory to God; rejoice, for when he persecuteth the saints and blasphemeth Christ, after those thousand two hundred and threescore days of affliction the Sun of righteousness will shine forth like lightning from the east upon those who fear His name; rejoice, for when the second coming of Christ upon the clouds in glory taketh place, He will consume and destroy that foul one, exalted above all and claiming the name of God, and give his flesh to the unquenchable fire to be burned; rejoice, for He will raise up all the saints and call them sweetly: “Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world”; rejoice, for at the end of the earth, revealed as Judge, He will say to all the ungodly and lawless and those who believed not in Him: “Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared by My Father for the devil and his angels”; Rejoice, O prophet and herald of the Old and the New Law, wonderworking Elijah!
O all-glorious and valiant prophet Elijah the Tishbite! Wondrous labourer in piety, who by thy prayer didst dry up the dew and the rain and crush all the enemies of God: arise now as our helper, and judge those who afflict us and fight against those who fight against us, who for our sins and iniquities are justly let loose to harm us, and turn their contemptible insolence into fear and flight, that we may say with boasting: Truly God is wondrous in His saints, praised by all His works: Alleluia.
This kontakion is said thrice, then
The Creator of the angels knew thee beforehand in thy mother’s womb and sent thee forth to teach the king and people of Israel His law and strengthen them to keep His commandments; and thou didst take upon thyself persecutions for the faith from impious kings and didst crush their designs by the power of the Spirit; therefore we adorn thee, the fervent zealot and master of the passions, the great prophet Elijah the Tishbite, as a radiant luminary of the world and the second forerunner of Christ’s second coming on earth: Rejoice, fruitful branch sprung from priestly roots; rejoice, lover of humility and reverence from infancy; rejoice, zealous keeper of purity of soul and body from thy youth; rejoice, thou who wast called by the Lord as prophet and priest; rejoice, thou who by thy struggle and the grace of the Lord didst attain the measure of holiness; rejoice, thou who didst shine forth in virtue among Israel; rejoice, thou who wast glorified by the Lord with many miracles; rejoice, thou who with the dawn of wonders enlightenest hearts darkened by unbelief; rejoice, thou who by unceasing prayer quenchest the temptations of the devil and his raging snares; rejoice, thou who blottest out evil habits of every kind; rejoice, mighty vanquisher of vices; rejoice, thou who like Abel wast justified and wast caught up in a chariot of fire to the heavenly city; Rejoice, O prophet and herald of the Old and the New Law, wonderworking Elijah!
To the strength of Israel given from heaven and the fervent intercessor of Christians we sing and adorn thy holiness; and do thou, as thou hast great boldness, entreat the good God to have mercy on us and deliver us from all temptations and trials, that we may not fall into the snare of the enemy, but, kept unharmed, be made worthy to sing to thee: Rejoice, O prophet and herald of the Old and the New Law, wonderworking Elijah!
O all-praised prophet Elijah the Tishbite, made radiant by signs and wonders! Chosen by the Holy Trinity and caught up to heaven in human flesh, praised by the angels, venerated by ascetics, called blessed with hope by Christians, and for all the destitute, the despairing and those who flee to thee an advocate, a wall and a firm shelter.
O prophet and second forerunner of Christ’s second coming on earth, Elijah! God created thee incorruptible, that thou shouldst not taste death until thou preach from Jerusalem concerning the end of the world, and with Enoch turn the erring and put to shame the followers of Antichrist, until ye are slain by him; but after three days the living Spirit of God will enter into you, and at His call ye will ascend in a cloud to heaven, as the holy apostle John the Theologian prophesied; and whoever turneth not shall fall with the fall of lawlessness. Therefore we entreat thee: guard unshaken the holy Church of Christ from the assaults of enemies and make it victorious over heretics; and deliver us from all the tribes gathered to war against us, and shelter us from the charm and delusion of Antichrist. Strengthen our great lord, the Most Holy and Most Blessed Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi and Metropolitan of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazeti, our father Ilia, the most reverend metropolitans, archbishops and bishops, and all the priestly and monastic orders; grant us a Christ-loving government and its army; guard those who labour for our people and our holy Church, and all Orthodox Christians.
O all-honourable prophet Elijah the Tishbite, well-pleasing to the all-holy Trinity, imitator and fellow-struggler of the angels, who didst shut the heavens and bridle the dew, command the air and call down fire from on high; who, having slain the priests, didst still the wrath of God and command the clouds to bring down rain upon the earth: look down now with a merciful eye upon our people and entreat the all-good God not to be angry with us according to our iniquities, but to free us from sins and remove from us hunger of body and perdition of soul, to shelter us from fire, the sword, the assault of enemies and every adversary, to grant us a peaceful and untroubled life, temperate weather, and to send down from heaven upon the earth rain in due season for the bearing of fruit, and to save us all in prosperity, that, guided and guarded by thy prayer, we may attain to eternal peace and with thee glorify God glorified in the thrice-holy hymn, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
It is truly meet to bless thee, O Theotokos, ever-blessed and all-spotless, and the Mother of our God. More honourable than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the very Theotokos, thee do we magnify.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Thy most pure Mother, of the holy wonderworking prophet Elijah the Tishbite and of all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Compiled by Tinatin Mchedlishvili
