Elijah Craig

(1738-1808 Anno Domini)

By Prophet Jacob R. Blandford

Elijah Craig was born in Orange County, Virginia in 1738. He was converted by a Baptist preacher named David Thomas in 1764. Craig then became a Baptist preacher himself. “He was jailed at least twice for preaching without the required Virginia license from the Anglican Church. Such preachers were considered a challenge to the entire social order of the colony, as the established state church received funding from the colony. In 1774, the convention of independent Baptists designated Elijah Craig and John Waller as apostles (missionaries) to evangelize north of the James River.” “As such, he worked with Patrick Henry and James Madison to protect religious freedom federally and in Virginia after the Revolutionary War. Ultimately, religious freedom became protected in Virginia by statute (and the Anglican Church was disestablished, i.e. lost government financial support), as well as in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Baptist membership grew, particularly among common planters with smaller holdings of land and slaves.”

Personal connections to Elijah Craig:

Craig was a Baptist minister and so am I (see II Cor. 3:5-6 KJV). We both read and obeyed the AKJV (1611) Bible. We both ministered in Orange, Virginia and the areas around the James River. [Note: the James River is named after King James VI & I. The same King James of the King James 1611 Holy Bible.] We have both been immured for our Christian faith. As Baptists we are named after John the Baptist: who came in 'the spirit of Elijah' (see Luke 1:17)... That's Craig's first name. And I have a sterling silver (925) ELIJAH Passover cup. We both have exhibited ministerial zeal as the prophet Elijah and John the Baptist. Earlier this year (2019) I received a history book about Lyles Baptist Church in Fluvanna, Virginia. I visited that church and was given a special tour of it. Then I discovered Craig established that church.

James Madison (1751-1836) was our 4th U.S. President (1809-1817). Madison was born and raised in Orange County like Elijah Craig; and they lived at the same time. Madison was a Christian and a reader of the King James Bible. Madison is known as “The Father of the Constitution” and “The Bill of Rights”. Madison and Craig were Virginia colleagues in the fight for religious liberty in America. Madison won that fight with his “Bill of Rights” or “The 10 Amendments”. I’m a Bachelor of Science graduate from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia: I attended there from 1998-2002—and this connection of mine to James Madison is yet another connection to Elijah Craig.

John the Baptist was the Prophet Elijah's successor. And for these reasons I believe that I'm Elijah Craig's modern day successor, in our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ's holy name, I pray, Amen & Amen.

Also, there is one verse in the Bible that contains both of the names “Elijah” and “Jacob” and it is found in 1 Kings 18:31—the story of Elijah versus the false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.

Also, I see this spiritual and territorial succession I have with Elijah Craig to be similar to what happened with C.I. Scofield and Dr. Peter S. Ruckman (with regards to their fundamental & premillennial biblical teachings; and their study Bibles.) Ruckman was born the same year Scofield died (1921); and they were both military men: and both have published excellent reference Bibles based on the KJV Text.

I thank my Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ for leading and empowering Elijah Craig to minister more than two centuries before me in this area. I thank God for Craig's ministry. I pray I would continue on the path (Proverbs 4:18) laid out before by the Holy Spirit for obedience to the Biblical Christian faith (Jude 3), of which Elijah Craig was a great example, in Jesus Christ's holy name, Amen.

¶ Can I tell you another reason why I believe I’m Elijah Craig’s successor? I don’t believe the Holy Ghost has ever put it on the heart of another Christian. If so, they’d have to have been born and raised in the James River area (Powhatan County), have to be a Baptist (baptized by immersion), a King James 1611 Bible-believer, have had lived and ministered in Orange County, have a connection with James Madison (as a JMU graduate), have a sterling silver (925) Elijah Passover cup (with an Elijah Craig engraved stainless steel julep cup and Elijah Craig bourbon bottles sitting beside it, [which I bought from the Powhatan Plaza ABC Store & Orange Village Shopping Center ABC Store]), have been immured for the faith (handcuffs and bars), understand the parallels between the prophet Elijah and John the Baptist (see Mal. 4 & St. Luke 1) (and the role John played, and will play, in Christ’s 1st and 2nd comings [Matt. 11:10, 17:10-13; Rev. 11]), be a prophet of the Lord (1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11), and own a 1769 Oxford King James replica Bible (a KJV Bible printing from Craig’s era), visited Lyles Baptist Church and given a special tour of it, be unmarried like John (only married to the Lord [Rom. 7:4; 2 Cor. 11:2]), abstain from alcohol (to the best of my ability) like John (Luke 1:15), be a spirit-filled Baptist like John. ¶ I also have obtained a copy of Benny Hinn's School of Ministry 'The Spirit of Elijah' DVD videos. ¶ And I possess Andrew Wommack's book 'Lessons from Elijah'. ¶ In Malachi 3:1 John the Baptist is called the Lord's "messenger" (See also Matthew 11:10 & Mark 1:2). Well, the man that led me to Christ (in 1991), Rev. Rudy Potter, told the Sunday school class at May Memorial Baptist Church (just a few years ago) that I was a 'messenger of God'.

Considering, Hebrews 1:7, 14, I’ve often wondered that as certain saints go to heaven, and join the church triumphant (see Heb. 12:1-2, 22-24): do their angels transfer the assignment of their ministry to another saint that is still on earth? If so, Elisha would have inherited Elijah’s angels after his translation: and therefore John the Baptist would have inherited both Elijah & Elisha’s angels! Wow! Something to think about. Could my guardian angels once have been the angels of Elijah Craig? Heaven may only reveal the answer. ¶ The Prophet Elijah lived about 900 years before John the Baptist was born. I was born 172 years after Elijah Craig went home to be with the Lord. As John the Baptist's generation saw the 1st Coming of Jesus Christ, perphaps my generation will see the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ! And as Elijah went to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11), so will I at the Rapture of the church (1 Thess. 4:16-17; 1 Cor. 15:51-52)! In Jesus Christ's holy name, Amen & Amen!

I was watching Manna-Fest hosted by Perry Stone, and he gave a sermon on the Secrets of Qumran cave area in the Judean wilderness. One of the secrets was a tradition that Elijah’s girdle (2 Kings 1:8) was hid in a compartment in the altar in the Temple. And it was to be kept there until he would show up again before the coming of the Messiah (see Mal. 3:1, 4:5-6). Well, when the priest Zacharias was told by the angel Gabriel that his son John would fulfill that role (Luke 1:17); the tradition states that Zacharias took the girdle out of the temple and gave it to his son John when he was old enough to begin ministering (see Matt. 3:4; Mark 1:6). For this reason the Jews thought John was Elijah (John 1:21).

Amen, Holy Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for confirming your word on this special and secret anointing which you’ve given to me by special revelation of the Spirit and the word of God, thank you Lord, this is almost too amazing to fathom, but I believe it and receive it, in Jesus Christ’s mighty name, Amen & Amen.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah_Craig

http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/dvb/bio.asp?b=Craig_Elijah

http://baptisthistoryhomepage.com/craig.brothers.index.html

https://www.elijahcraig.com

Recommended reading:

"Lives of Virginia Baptist Ministers: Volumes 1 & 2 (1838)" by James B. Taylor; Reprinted 2008 by Local Church Bible Publishers