Old Elijah felt lonely. From the cave, he was watching the horizons. His desire to die was still there with him. How was it possible for men to be so frantic when the nature is so quiet?

The old prophet stood up on his staff. He turned his back to the rising sun, and he walked toward the back of the den. His foot hit a stone. He took the stone in his hand and threw it with violence in the rocky darkness. At this very moment, the Voice was heard behind him. ''What are you doing here, Elijah?'' The man lowered his head wearily and without turning his head, he whispered to himself: ''What I am doing here? As if He did not know what I am doing here !''

''I complain, that's what I am doing here! I am the only one left, and I am sentenced to death!'', he said, without bothering to face the One who talked to Him.

Elijah was used to hear the Voice. It had become familiar to him. He could not be mistaken, he knew it was Him. God loved this man, this old man both strong and fragile. ''Get out, Elijah, come in the daylight. Come in front of Me. Don't stay in the shadow. And stand on the mountain before Me.''

Then Elijah slowly turned himself, replaced the right side of his robe and faced the blazing horizon of the rising sun. He was silhouetted against this magnificent scene.

Everything was quiet. Had he not clearly heard the Voice, Elijah may have thought that God had withdrawn. But he knew the One who, from the invisible world, was talking to him. What did he want to say, this time? He had not completely expressed his thought when a mighty wind tore the mountain and shattered the rock. Elijah flattened himself against the wall of the cave in order not to be taken by this sudden storm. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, this supernatural phenomenon disappeared. It was silent again. Elijah waited for a few moments, and stepped forward in order to observe the damages. Then a muffled roaring suddenly draw his attention. It seemed to come from beneath the earth. It was coming near the surface and started to shake the earth, making Elijah feel small. The rocks which had been shattered by the wind and which were precariously balancing on some other stones, fell in and rolled down the ravines around. And then it stopped. Elijah found himself sitting against his own will at the entrance of the cave. But he was quickly back on his feet to seek shelter inside when a mighty fire jumped from nowhere, and burnt down the rare things which still could be burnt in this place of desolation.

He had no time to reflect on the meaning of these events. His mind was terrified. Had he not asked for death a few days before? Maybe God was answering this prayer. This was the only thing he could think about. Then the pillar of fire vanished as if by magic. God seemed not to be involved there. These violent phenomena were preceding Him. God took His sweetest voice to talk to his old servant. Then Elijah kept his true position. He wrapped his face in his coat and went out of the cave. His heart had been prepared by the former incidents to listen to the Voice. The fury of his internal struggle had been appeased. He could talk to God without expressing any negative emotion. He could plead his cause with an attitude of respect and faith. God is almighty and He does what He has decided to do from time immemorial. Elijah had always known this, but he had needed God in this occasion, in this ordeal, to jog his memory.

God had always loved the spirit of Elijah, and since the beginning of the time, He had decided in His ''Personal-Council'' to use him five times on this old earth.

Ever since the restoration of the world (1), it was the first time He sent him to His people. And if the spirit of Elijah had always been well disposed in the pre-mortal life, it was not the case of his living soul in this world.

That's why the Lord was polishing this man in the pot, just like the goldsmith who purifies gold in the fire. When Elijah's body took form in his mother's bosom, God already knew him. And when the eternal spirit of Elijah entered this tiny body, the soul which then became alive (2) was the most human. It was a soul which had no idea of the eternal past of the spirit to which it was tightly connected. (3)

And Elijah's mindset caused him to be truly undiplomatic. For example, he was constantly blaming Jezebel, this emancipated woman who indulged in ways unfit for a lady. Because he kept insisting on this sensitive matter, Elijah turned her into a mortal enemy.

Elijah would not shut in mouth in front of the religious leaders who were perverting the Word of God with their traditions. He could not stand this organized treachery. That's why the dignitaries of the official religion disliked Elijah; he did not bother yet. He just aimed at restoring what God had ordered since the beginning, when He had made a Covenant with his people. But is there anything stiffer than a cleric's neck? Maybe the union of several clerics. Because he had kept struggling and fighting, he came to a point where he felt lonely and abandoned by all. And what frightened him the most was to think that God Himself might abandon him to his sad fate.

We live on earth for a short while and time was created for us, so that we can progress according to God's will and desire.

When we think about our life, or about the history of the world, we use our memory concerning the past and our imagination concerning the future. But God does not see things like this. There is no past nor future in God. Everything for Him is the present; what was, what will be. He knows everything. No word of the human wisdom can convey God's feeling in this situation. We have to admit that we are just passing on this earth. Therefore, we can only judge from what we know. And what else do we know, besides what God is willing to reveal?

Elisha, filled with Elijah's spirit, went on and did great deeds, the same that Elijah had performed. He had the same spirit. Elisha's soul was still the same, it is only the spirit which took over.

Elisha, filled with Elijah's spirit, was able to know what was spoken somewhere, even without being there. Elijah's spirit was so close to Elisha's soul that he was not living like the ordinary people. He could know secret things and hearts opened to him so that he unveiled them very easily.