eliyah bhavishyavakta ki umra dhal chuki hai. use khabar milti hai ki raja ahab ki maut ho gayi hai. woh apni daadhi par haath ferne lagta hai aur khayalon mein kho jaata hai. woh woh din yaad karne lagta hai, jab uska saamna dusht raja ahab se hota tha. use raja ahab aur uski raani izebel ke haathon kai zulm sehne pade! unhonne kitni baar use dhamkaya, use pakadne ke liye aadmi bheje, yahaan tak ki uski jaan lene ki bhi koshish ki. jab izebel ne yahova ke bahot-se bhavishyavaktaon ka khoon karne ka aadesh diya, to raja ne use nahin roka. ek baar to raja aur raani, donon ne milkar ek nek aur bekasoor aadmi naabot aur uske beton ka katl karne ki saazish ki. aakhir kyon? kyonki woh laalchi the, woh naabot ki zameen hadapna chahte the. jab unhonne naabot aur uske beton ka katl karva diya, tab eliyah ne yahova ki taraf se ahab aur uske poore khaandan ko saza sunayi. parmeshvar ki yah baat poori hui. ahab ka vahi hashra hua, jiske baare mein yahova ne bhavishyavani ki thi.​—1 raja 18:4; 21:1-26; 22:37, 38; 2 raja 9:26.

lekin eliyah jaanta hai ki use aage bhi dheeraj rakhne ki zaroorat hogi. bhale hi ahab mar gaya hai, magar izebel zinda hai aur woh ab bhi apne parivar aur desh par bura asar kar rahi hai. eliyah ko aage aur bhi mushkilon ka saamna karna hoga, saath hi use eleesha ko bhi bahot kuch sikhane ki zaroorat hai, jo na sirf uska saathi hai balki uski jagah bhi lenevala hai. aaiye charcha karein ki eliyah ko aakhir mein kaun-se teen kaam karne pade. isse hum jaan paayenge ki vishvas ki vajah se woh kaise dheeraj rakh paaya. tab hum seekh paayenge ki hum jis mushkil vakt mein ji rahe hain, usmein hum apna vishvas kaise mazboot kar sakte hain.

ab ahab aur izebel ka javan beta ahajyah israel ka raja hai. apne maa-baap ki galtiyon se sabak seekhne ke bajay woh unhin ke nakshe-kadam par chalne lagta hai. (1 raja 22:52) unki tarah ahajyah baal ki upasna karta hai. baal ki upasna karnevale sabhi log bure-bure kaam karte hain. woh mandir mein anaitik kaam karte hain, yahaan tak ki apne bachchon ki bali chadhate hain. kya ahajyah badlega? kya woh apne logon ko yahova se vishvasghat karne se rokega?

ek din achanak is magroor raja ke saath ek haadsa hota hai. woh mahal ki chhat ke jangle se gir padta hai aur buri tarah ghaayal ho jaata hai. uski jaan par ban aati hai, fir bhi woh yahova se madad nahin maangta. iske bajay woh apne dooton ko dushmanon ke ilake yaani palishtiyon ke shahar ekron bhejta hai, taaki woh baal-jaboob devta se poochh sakein ki woh theek hoga ya nahin. woh aise pesh aaya maano israel mein koi parmeshvar hai hi nahin. yah kitna bada paap hai! ahajyah par yahova ko bahot gussa aata hai. woh apne ek swargdoot ko eliyah ke paas bhejta hai. swargdoot usse kehta hai ki woh dooton ko raaste mein hi rok le. tab bhavishyavakta eliyah un dooton ko kada sandesh sunakar raja ke paas vaapas bhejta hai. yahova saza sunata hai ki ahajyah apne bistar se kabhi nahin uthega.​—2 raja 1:2-4.

dooton ka sandesh sunne ke baad bhi ahajyah pashchatap nahin karta. iske bajay woh poochhta hai, “jis aadmi ne aakar tumse yah baat kahi, woh dikhne mein kaisa tha?” doot use batate hain ki bhavishyavakta saadi poshak pehne tha. isse ahajyah turant samajh jaata hai aur kehta hai, ‘woh eliyah hai.’ (2 raja 1:7, 8) gaur keejiye ki eliyah ko uske pehnave se aasani se pehchan liya gaya. woh saadi poshak isliye pehanta tha kyonki woh saada jeevan jeeta tha aur uska poora dhyan parmeshvar ki seva par laga tha. lekin ahajyah ya uske maata-pita ke baare mein aisa nahin kaha jaa sakta, kyonki woh bahot laalchi the. eliyah ki misal aaj hamein yeeshu ki yah salah yaad dilati hai ki hamein saada jeevan jeena chahiye aur apna poora dhyan aham baaton par lagaye rakhna chahiye.​—matti 6:22-24.

ab ahajyah thaan leta hai ki woh eliyah se badla lekar hi rahega. woh eliyah ko pakadne ke liye ek sena-adhikari ko uske 50 sainikon ke saath bhejta hai. jab woh eliyah ke paas pahunchte hain, to dekhte hain ki woh “ek pahad ki choti par baitha hua” hai. * woh adhikari badi rukhai se eliyah ko aadesh deta hai ki raja ne kaha hai, “neeche utar aa.” mumkin hai ki woh keh raha hai ki maut ki saza ke liye taiyar ho jaa. sainikon ki jurrat to dekho! woh jaante hain ki woh sachche parmeshvar ka sevak hai, fir bhi use dara-dhamka rahe hain. eliyah adhikari se kehta hai, “agar main parmeshvar ka sevak hoon, to aasman se aag barse aur tujhe aur tere 50 aadmiyon ko bhasm kar de.” tab parmeshvar fauran kadam uthata hai! ‘aasman se aag barasti hai aur woh adhikari aur uske 50 aadmi bhasm ho’ jaate hain. (2 raja 1:9, 10) un sainikon ka kya hi bhayanak ant hota hai! yah ghatna dikhati hai ki jab log yahova ke sevkon ka apman karte hain, to woh use halke mein nahin leta.​—1 itihas 16:21, 22.

iske baad ahajyah ek aur adhikari ko uske 50 aadmiyon ke saath bhejta hai. yah adhikari pehle adhikari se zyada gustakhi karta hai. kaise? pehli baat, woh un 51 sainikon ki maut se koi sabak nahin seekhta, jabki shaayad woh pahad ke ek taraf unki raakh padi hui dekh sakta hai. doosri baat, woh na sirf pehle adhikari ki tarah eliyah ko yah hukm deta hai ki “neeche aa” balki “jaldi” aane ko bhi kehta hai. woh kitna bada bevkoof hai! aakhirkar uska aur uske aadmiyon ka bhi vahi ant hota hai. usse bhi bada bevkoof raja ahajyah hai. itna sabkuch hone ke baad bhi woh teesri baar sainikon ka dal bhejta hai. lekin shukra hai ki is dal ka adhikari buddhiman hai. woh namra hokar eliyah ke paas jaata hai aur usse binti karta hai ki woh uski aur uske aadmiyon ki jaan bakhsh de. sachche parmeshvar ka sevak eliyah uski binti sun leta hai aur is tarah yahova ke jaisi daya karta hai. fir yahova ka ek swargdoot eliyah se kehta hai ki woh un sainikon ke saath jaaye. eliyah unke saath jaata hai aur dusht raja ko yahova ka vahi nyaydand sunata hai, jo usne pehle bhi sunaya tha. parmeshvar ki baat poori hoti hai aur ahajyah ki maut ho jaati hai. woh sirf do saal tak raaj kar paata hai.​—2 raja 1:11-17.

haalaanki eliyah aise logon ke beech rehta tha, jo dheeth the aur yahova se bagavat karte the, fir bhi woh dheeraj rakh paaya. woh yah kaise kar paaya? yah saval aaj hamare liye bahot maayne rakhta hai. ho sakta hai ki jis vyakti ki hamein bahot parvah hai, woh achhi salah thukra de aur dheeth hokar us raah par chalne lage, jisse usi ka nuksan hota hai. yah dekhkar hamein bahot dukh hota hai. aise mein hum dheeraj kaise rakh sakte hain? yaad keejiye ki jab sainik eliyah ke paas gaye, to woh “ek pahad ki choti par baitha hua tha.” hum pakke taur par to nahin keh sakte, magar ho sakta hai ki woh hamesha ki tarah vahaan prarthna kar raha ho. woh ek ekaant jagah thi, isliye use laga hoga ki vahaan prarthna ke zariye woh apne pyare parmeshvar ke kareeb aa sakta hai. (yakub 5:16-18) usi tarah, hamein bhi roz samay nikaalkar parmeshvar se akele mein baat karni chahiye. hamein uska naam lekar usse binti karni chahiye, apni samasyaon aur chintaon ke baare mein use batana chahiye. isse hum dheeraj rakh paayenge, bhale hi hamare aas-paas ke log dheeth hon ya aise kaam karte hon jinse unhin ka nuksan hota hai.

ab vakt aa gaya hai ki eliyah apni zimmedari eleesha ko saunpe. dhyan deejiye ki eliyah kya karta hai. jab woh aur eleesha gilgal nagar se nikalkar jaate hain, to woh eleesha se vahin thahar jaane ke liye kehta hai, kyonki woh akele bethel jaayega. bethel gilgal se kareeb 11 kilometer door hai. magar eleesha kehta hai, “yahova ke jeevan ki shapath aur tere jeevan ki shapath, main tera saath nahin chhodoonga.” jab woh donon bethel pahunchte hain, to eliyah eleesha se kehta hai ki woh akele yareeho jaayega, jo kuch 22 kilometer door hai. eleesha fir se uske saath chalne ke liye kehta hai. yareeho pahunchne par teesri baar eliyah vahi baat kehta hai. woh batata hai ki woh akele yardan nadi ke paas jaayega, jo kareeb 8 kilometer door hai. par is baar bhi eleesha vahi javab deta hai. woh eliyah ka saath nahin chhodta!​—2 raja 2:1-6.

is tarah eleesha atal pyar zahir kar raha tha, jo bahot zaroori gun hai. aisa hi pyar root ko naaomi se tha. is pyar ki vajah se ek vyakti doosre vyakti se dridhata se juda rehta hai aur kisi bhi haal mein uska saath nahin chhodta. (root 1:15, 16) pehle se kahin zyada aaj parmeshvar ke sabhi sevkon mein yah gun hona chahiye. kya eleesha ki tarah hum bhi samajhte hain ki yah gun zahir karna zaroori hai?

apne javan saathi ka atal pyar eliyah ke dil ko chhoo jaata hai. yah pyar zahir karne ki vajah se eleesha ko eliyah ka aakhiri chamatkar dekhne ka mauka milta hai. woh donon yardan nadi ke paas pahunchte hain, jo kahin-kahin par kaafi gehri aur bahot tez behti hai. nadi kinare khade hokar eliyah apni bhavishyavakta ki poshak paani par maarta hai. paani do hisson mein bat jaata hai! eleesha ke alava “bhavishyavaktaon ke beton mein se 50 aadmi bhi” yah chamatkar dekhte hain. zahir hai ki ye aadmi us sangh ke hain, jismein aadmiyon ko sachchi upasna mein aguvai karne ki taaleem di jaati hai. (2 raja 2:7, 8) mumkin hai ki eliyah us sangh ki nigrani karta hai. kuch saal pehle eliyah ko lag raha tha ki poore desh mein sirf vahi ek vafadar aadmi reh gaya hai, fir bhi usne dheeraj rakha. is vajah se yahova ne use aasheesh di. tab se eliyah ko yah dekhne ka samman mila ki kaise yahova ke upaskon ki ginti badhti jaa rahi hai.​—1 raja 19:10.

iske baad eliyah aur eleesha yardan nadi ke paar jaate hain. fir eliyah usse kehta hai, “isse pehle ki parmeshvar mujhe tujhse door le jaaye, tu jo chahe mujhse maang le.” eliyah jaanta hai ki uske jaane ka vakt aa gaya hai. woh is baat se naaraz nahin hai ki ab uska javan saathi uski jagah lenevala hai aur bhavishya mein usi ka naam hoga. iske bajay, woh khushi-khushi eleesha ki madad karna chahta hai, taaki woh apni zimmedari nibha sake. eleesha sirf yah guzarish karta hai, “parmeshvar ne tujhe jo shakti di hai kya uske do hisse mujhe mil sakte hain?” (2 raja 2:9; footnote) uska yah matlab nahin tha ki eliyah ko jitni pavitra shakti mili thi, usse dugni use mile. iske bajay woh pehlauthe bete ki tarah virasat ka hissa maang raha tha. kaanoon ke mutabik pehlauthe bete ko pita ki virasat ka sabse zyada ya dugna hissa milta tha, kyonki parivar ka mukhiya banne se uski zimmedariyaan badh jaati thi. (vyavasthavivran 21:17) eleesha laakshanik taur par eliyah ka vaaris tha, isliye zahir hai ki woh eliyah ke jaisi himmat paana chahta tha, taaki woh parmeshvar ka kaam poora kar sake.

eliyah namra hokar eleesha ki guzarish yahova par chhod deta hai. woh kehta hai ki agar yahova use yah dekhne ka mauka dega ki woh buzurg bhavishyavakta ko uthakar le jaa raha hai, to iska matlab parmeshvar uski guzarish poori karega. fir donon lambe samay ke dost “baatein karte huye saath-saath” chalne lagte hain. tabhi achanak ek anokhi ghatna ghatti hai!​—2 raja 2:10, 11.

aasman mein unhein ajeeb-c raushni dikhayi deti hai aur woh raushni failti jaa rahi hai. tabhi ek aandhi uthti hai aur uski gadgadahat unhein sunayi deti hai. saath hi, tez chamakti hui koi cheez badi raftar se unki taraf aati hai. shaayad usi ko dekhkar woh chaunk jaate hain aur ek-doosre se alag ho jaate hain. woh jo dekhte hain, woh ek rath hai jo aag ki tarah chamak raha hai. eliyah samajh jaata hai ki uska vakt aa gaya hai. kya woh us rath par savaar ho jaata hai? bible kuch nahin batati. bible itna zaroor batati hai ki use aandhi mein aasman ki taraf oopar uthaya jaa raha hai!

yah sab dekhkar eleesha dang reh jaata hai. woh samajh jaata hai ki yahova zaroor use ‘shakti ke do hisse’ dega yaani eliyah ke jaisa himmatvala banayega. magar woh is baare mein nahin soch paata, kyonki woh bahot dukhi hai. woh nahin jaanta ki uska pyara dost kahaan jaa raha hai. shaayad use ummeed nahin hai ki woh eliyah se fir kabhi mil paayega. woh zor-zor se kehta hai, “hey mere pita, hey mere pita! dekh, israel ka rath aur uske ghudasvar!” dheere-dheere uska shikshak uski aankhon se ojhal ho jaata hai. woh apne kapde faadkar maatam manane lagta hai.​—2 raja 2:12.

jab eliyah oopar uth raha tha, to kya usne apne dost ka rona suna hoga? kya woh bhi roya hoga? shaayad. magar ek baat tay hai, eliyah yah zaroor jaanta tha ki eleesha jaise vafadar dost ki madad se woh kai mushkil haalaat mein dheeraj rakh paaya. eliyah se hum ek zaroori baat seekh sakte hain. hamein aise logon se dosti karni chahiye jo parmeshvar se pyar karte hain aur uski marzee poori karte hain.

iske baad eliyah kahaan gaya? kuch dharm sikhate hain ki use swarg utha liya gaya taaki woh parmeshvar ke saath rahe. lekin aisa ho hi nahin sakta. sadiyon baad yeeshu maseeh ne kaha ki uske samay se pehle koi bhi insan swarg nahin gaya. (yuhanna 3:13) fir jab bible ke kuch anuvadon mein likha hai ki “eliyah bavandar mein hokar swarg par chadh gaya,” to uska kya matlab hai? (2 raja 2:11, hindi​—o.v.) bible mein shabd “swarg” ka matlab hamesha woh jagah nahin hota, jahaan yahova rehta hai. kai aayton mein iska matlab aasman hai, jahaan baadal hote hain aur panchhi udte hain. (bhajan 147:8) to fir eliyah aasman mein gaya. fir vahaan se woh kahaan gaya?

yahova apne pyare bhavishyavakta ko paas ke yahooda raajya le gaya. vahaan usne eliyah ko ek nayi zimmedari di. bible batati hai ki woh yahooda mein kaafi samay tak seva karta raha. shaayad saat saal se bhi zyada samay tak. us dauran yahooda par dusht raja yahoram ka raaj tha. usne ahab aur izebel ki beti se shaadi ki thi. is vajah se ahab aur izebel ka bura asar ab bhi dekha jaa sakta tha. yahova ke kehne par eliyah ne ek chitthi ke zariye yahoram ko saza sunayi. is bhavishyavani ke mutabik, yahoram ek buri maut mara. aur-to-aur “jab uski maut hui to kisi ko dukh nahin hua.”​—2 itihas 21:12-20.

us dusht raja aur eliyah ke beech kitna bada fark tha! hum yah nahin jaante ki eliyah ki maut kab ya kaise hui. magar hum yah zaroor jaante hain ki uski maut yahoram ki tarah nahin hui aur aisa bhi nahin tha ki uski maut par kisi ko dukh na hua ho. eleesha ko apne is dost ki bahot yaad aayi. doosre vafadar bhavishyavaktaon ne bhi use yaad kiya hoga. yahi nahin, kareeb 1,000 saal baad bhi woh yahova ki nazron mein anmol tha. is vajah se usne us darshan mein is pyare bhavishyavakta ko dikhaya, jismein yeeshu ka roop badla tha. (matti 17:1-9) kya aap bhi eliyah ki tarah mushkil haalaat mein apna vishvas mazboot karna chahte hain? agar haan, to un logon se dosti keejiye jo parmeshvar se pyar karte hain, apni poori zindagi yahova ki seva karte rahiye aur lagatar dil se prarthna keejiye. aisa karne se aap hamesha yahova ke dil ke kareeb raheinge!