Saint Michael, the first prophet of this name, was from the tribe of Ephraim and was the son of Iemvlay. He lived during the time of the holy prophet Elijah, when Ahab and Jezebel were kings in Israel and Jehoshaphat in Judah. The prophet often rebuked Ahab for idolatry and injustices, for which the king hated him but did not dare to kill him. At that time, Jehoshaphat, having kinship ties with Ahab, agreed to help him in the war against the Assyrian king, but first suggested asking the Lord. Ahab gathered 400 false prophets who predicted success, but Jehoshaphat insisted on calling a true prophet, and Michael was summoned.
When Michael arrived, he first said that the war would be successful, but under pressure from Ahab, he revealed the true prophecy: the Israelite army would be scattered, and the king would perish. Ahab, enraged, imprisoned the prophet, where he predicted that if the king returned alive, he had not spoken in the name of the Lord. The war ended according to the prophecy: Ahab was killed.
Nothing is said in Scripture about the death of Saint Michael, but the prologue mentions that he was killed by Joram, the son of Ahab. The memory of Saint Michael is celebrated on January 5. The second Saint Michael, from Morasfita, lived during the reigns of Joash, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, rebuking idolatry and injustices, predicting God's wrath upon Israel and Jerusalem, but also proclaiming the birth of the Savior in Bethlehem. His life ended peacefully, and he was buried in his homeland.
