Elijah was a prophet whose name means "Yahweh is my God". He performed miraculous feats like raising the dead and calling down fire from the sky. Elijah never died but was taken directly to heaven in a whirlwind, an event that was foreseen by other prophets. Elijah demonstrated strong conviction and integrity by challenging those who defied God. The passage encourages the reader to also expect God's power to produce miracles.