Joseph F. Smith saw in vision a “vast congregation of the righteous,” who would be leaders in fulfilling the Lord’s work on earth. Among these was Elijah, who “was to plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to their fathers, foreshadowing the great work to be done in the temples of the Lord in the dispensation of the fulness of times, for the redemption of the dead, and the sealing of the children to their parents, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse and utterly wasted at his coming” (D&C 138:47-48).
“Elijah held the sealing power of the Melchizedek Priesthood. He appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration in company with Moses (also translated) and conferred the keys of the priesthood on Peter, James, and John. He appeared again, in company with Moses and others, on April 3, 1836, in the Kirtland (Ohio) Temple and conferred the same keys upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.” (Bible Dictionary, “Elijah”). The earth would be “wasted”, and the entire plan of salvation would be null and void without this sealing power. Thus, Elijah is extremely important to temple worship.
We encounter Elijah’s sealing power to bind on heaven and earth as the heavens are shut up without rain for three and a half years. We understand the sealing power that binds families together for eternity, but the sealing power is much more. This power makes earthly ordinances received in temples binding for all eternity. D&C 132:19 states, “And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them—Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths . . . it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever.”
Elijah, whose name means “my God is Jehovah,” is able to call down fire from heaven to consume his “burnt sacrifice” (`olah). Those present chanted, “The Lord, he is the God.” (1 Kings 18:38-39). In essence, the people are chanting his name.
Elijah ascended Mount Carmel and fell to his knees. He asked his servant to look to the sea. His servant saw nothing. Elijah asked him to look seven times. This repetition of seven symbolizes completion and exhibits patience (which is a challenge for me).
On the seventh time, the servant said, “Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand” (1 Kings 18:44). The cloud can be seen as a veil to hide God’s consuming glory, such as the cloud of smoke on Sinai, or the cloud of incense protecting the high priest in the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur. In this case, the hand is extended through the veil.
The Hebrew word for hand in this verse is kaph, emphasizing the palm of the hand. This is not what you would expect in this context, but the palm is the receiving part of the hand, so we can expect that the Lord is giving us something here. The sky is blackened, and there is a downpouring rain to open the heavens.
The setting is significant. Bible scholars have linked rain imagery to revelation descending from heaven and an outpouring of the Spirit. Deuteronomy 32:1-2 states, “Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass.” Joel prophesied, “Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month (Joel 2:23). The First Vision likely occurred in the “first month” (Nisan) on the Hebrew calendar. Joel further prophesied that the Lord would “pour out (His) spirit upon all flesh.” It’s significant that Moroni quoted these verses to Joseph Smith in connection with future events of the Restoration.
Joseph Smith once wrote, “As the dews of Carmel, so shall the knowledge of God descend upon them!” (D&C 128:19). This clearly links the rain on Mount Carmel with revelation from the Lord.
Elijah appeared in the Kirtland Temple on Easter Sunday of 1836 to restore the keys of the sealing power. Like the “palm of the hand” appearing in the cloud, hands figuratively reached out to receive priesthood keys of salvation. The Lord said, “Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands” (D&C 110:16).
Please see below for images of the cloud like a man’s hand and a mosaic panel of Abel and Melchizedek in church Basilica of Sant Apolinare in Ravenna, Italy.
