II Kings 2:1- And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
Now, there are a few men in the Bible who have something special happen to them. One man was Enoch who didn't die. Enoch lived before the flood, and one day God changed Enoch from a regular human into something eternal and took him to live in heaven.
Another man that something special would happen to is Elijah. Elijah wasn't going to die here. Elijah was going to be taken by God to heaven, but he isn't going to become eternal. You see, Elijah is going to come back in the future. When future Elijah shows up, he will be Moses who will be resurrected. Together these two men will face the AntiChrist- Satan in flesh. And the AntiChrist will kill them.
Elijah knows that he isn't going to die just yet.
II Kings 2:2-3- And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
Not only does Elijah know he won't die, but so do the other prophets. Elisha knows, and so do the prophets who dwell at Bethel.
II Kings 2:4-5- And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
The prophets who lived in Jericho also knew that Elijah was in his last day. The Bible doesn't say how they all know that Elijah won't die, or how they know that this day would be the day. But, Elisha isn't going to let his mentor out of his sight!
II Kings 2:6- And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.
So, both Elijah and Elisha go to the Jordan River, and they are followed by some of the other prophets.
II Kings 2:7-8- And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
It seemed that Elijah didn't want anyone to see how he left the earth. He left the city, and crossed the large river of Jordan. Just like when Moses parted the Red Sea for the children of Israel when they left Egypt, Elijah parter the river of Jordan. Only Elisha was with him.
II Kings 2:9-10- And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
Elijah asked Elisha what it was that he wanted. Elisha said that he wanted a double portion of Elijah's spirit- he wanted to do twice as much as Elijah had done while he was living. Elijah said that if Elisha saw God take him to heaven that he would have his request answered.
II Kings 2:11- And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
Suddenly, as they were walking and talking a chariot of fire pulled by horses of fire drove between them. Elijah was pulled into the chariot and then the flaming horses pulled it and Elijah into a whirlwind that went up into heaven.
Can you imagine what Elisha must have felt like? To have seen flaming horses would be unimaginable! But, to watch those horses taxi your friend off into eternity?!?!
II Kings 2:12-15- And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
Elijah picked up the mantle that fell off of Elijah. He used this coat-like piece of clothing on the Jordan River just as he had seen Elijah do. And, just like it did for Elijah, the river parted and Elisha crossed on dry ground.
The prophets that had been by the river when Elijah crossed over with Elisha were still waiting. They saw Elisha come back the way he had left, and they knew that Elisha had the same spirit that Elijah had. God had answered Elisha's request.
II Kings 2:16-18- And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send. And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not. And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?
The prophets wanted to go look for Elijah, but Elisha knew he was no longer on the earth. They pestered Elisha so much that he finally told them they could go look. But, they didn't find him!
When they came back, they had a problem that they were hoping Elisha could help them with.
II Kings 2:19- And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.
The city had a well, but the water was bad. It wouldn't help plants to grow.
II Kings 2:20-22- And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.
Elisha asked for a vessel with salt in it. He went out to where the waters were and cast the salt into the waters- and this healed them. The waters were now good to drink and would help plants grow.
This was the first miracle Elisha did. He helped the town be able to live.
His second miracle wouldn't be so wonderful.
II Kings 2:23-24- And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
God tells children to obey their parents and those who rule over them. He also expects children to be respectful of their elders. On Elisha's way home, there were some naughty children who came out and started to make fun of him because he was bald.
Elisha called a curse down on them in the name of the Lord, and two bears attacked them. God doesn't think it's funny to be disrespectful!
Elisha's first miracle brought life; his second miracle brought death. He was going to have a double portion of everything that Elijah had done. Elijah had 14 miracles happen while he was alive- they brought both life and death. Elisha was going to have 28!
II Kings 2:25- And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.
