Ahaziah and Elijah's Last Prophecy

"Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab." Ahaziah "fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease."

The angel of the LORD sends Elijah: "Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron?… Thou shalt not come down from that bed… but shalt surely die." The messengers describe the man: "an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite."

A captain of fifty climbs the hill: "Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down." "If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty." It happens twice. The third captain falls on his knees: "let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight." Elijah goes down with him and repeats the word to the king's face. Ahaziah dies; "and Jehoram reigned in his stead… because he had no son."

Baal-zebub and Beelzebul

Baal-zebub means "lord of flies." Many scholars think it is a mocking change of a title like Baal-zebul, "Baal the prince," a title known from Ugaritic texts (zbl b'l). The library's Greek renders "Baal-Mouche" (Baal-fly), the Vulgate "Beelzebub." In the Gospels "Beelzebul" is a name for the prince of demons (Matthew 12:24); the name's later use does not prove it meant the same thing in Ahaziah's time.

Ekron

Ekron (Tel Miqne) was a major Philistine city. Its royal dedicatory inscription naming kings Achish and Padi dates to the 7th century BC, about two centuries after Ahaziah; it shows Ekron's later importance but says nothing about Baal-zebub.

Fire from heaven

The killing of the first two companies is told without softening. Readers have long contrasted it with Jesus' rebuke when disciples ask to call down fire "as Elias did" (Luke 9:54–55, in some manuscripts).