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When I travel to Israel, my favorite place outside Jerusalem is Mount Carmel. Technically a range of mountains, the traditional location for Elijah’s contest with the prophets of Baal is located at the end of a winding road through gnarled oak trees.
The Carmelite Monastery of Muhraka (meaning “scorching”) stands to proclaim the time when God sent fire from heaven to consume the water-drenched sacrifice Elijah had prepared. When my brother and I visited as pilgrims in 2006, Chris found an outcropping of stones that had a striking appearance of being completely charred. The imposing statue within the now-peaceful courtyard also bears testimony to the horrible toll exacted on those who had led the Children of Israel into the darkness of idol worship.
The site is also famous for its breathtaking overview of the Valley of Jezreel—the biblically famous Valley of Armageddon. From the roof of the monastery, visitors can cast their gaze across the broad plain that will someday contain the collective armies of the Antichrist and nations of the world.
Right below the overlook is a northern Israel Air Force base where F-16 aircraft are based. Pilgrims to Mount Carmel often hear the sound of freedom (jet noise) echoing across the valley.
Past. Present. Future. Mount Carmel has, does, or will see so much prophetic history fulfilled.
When Elijah stood before the gathered sons of Israel, he asked them a timeless question: "How long will you waver between two opinions?" (1 Kings 1:18, CSB).
Their answer was as shocking as it was indicting. Yet it foreshadowed the sad trajectory our own nation has been on for too many years. We, too, have drifted catastrophically into idol worship and immorality. We, too, are faced with a dramatic contest—not between a single prophet of God and the false prophets of a named imposter, but between the true and living God and the empty cisterns that now compete for America’s loyalty.
We must consider America’s looming decision. For now, Elijah’s question echoes down through the centuries to every one of us still today: "How long will you waver between two opinions?"
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