2 Kings 2



2 Kings 2                                                            Book of Kings   Book of Psalms

Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven
 
2 Kings 2 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
  • The LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind
  • From Gilgal = The reverse route taken by Israel on entering the Land.
  • Elijah = My God Is God
  • Elisha = God his salvation, prophet of the kingdom of Israel
  • 1 Kings 19:16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel–meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
2 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.
 
3 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.
  • This Bethel was the school of the prophets
  • Notice how they knew the Lord was going to take Elijah
  • The student already knew God was going to take Elijah
4 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.
 
5 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.
 
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.
 
7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.
  • The prophets were watching for the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind
8 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.
  • Elijah last miracle = He smote the waters and they were divided, so that they two went over on dry ground
9 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.
  • Elisha asked, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me
10 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 saying, you will have a double portion = if you can see me taken away
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.
  • As they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder
  • Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven
12 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.
  • Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel
  • He took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces
13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
  • He took up also the mantle of Elijah
14 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.
  • The LORD God = God Elohim; or. Where is God the God of Elijah?
  • After this the Hebrew text has "aph hu = " even he".
  • They parted = The first of sixteen miracles.
  • Seen in the fact that Elijah wrought eight miracles and Elisha sixteen, and all were parables in action.
  • Rest in "double portion"
  • The mantle of Elijah = he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.
  • Over = The 19th Seder ends here
  • 1 Kings 22:43 And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places.
  • And he walked = The 19th Seder begins here
15 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.
  • The prophets saw Elijah go up into heaven by a whirlwind,
  • The prophets said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha.
  • Notice they witness Elijah go up into heaven by a whirlwind,
  • Doth Rest = hath rested
  • Rest in = "double portion" from God = The Lord is our Rest
  • Seen in the fact that Elijah wrought eight miracles and Elisha sixteen, and all were parables in action.
  • Elijah's eight Miracles 1 Kings and 2 Kings
  • 1. Shutting heaven (1 Kings 17:1).
    2. Oil multiplied (1 Kings 17:14).
    3. Widow's son raised (1 Kings 17:22-23).
    4. Fire from heaven (1 Kings 18:38).
    5. Rain (1 Kings 18:45).
    6. Fire on 50 (2 Kings 1:10).
    7. Fire on 50 (2 Kings 1:12).
    8. Jordan (2 Kings 2:8).
  • Elisha's sixteen Miracles 2 Kings
  • 1. Jordan divided (2 Kings 2:14).
    2. Waters healed (2 Kings 2:21).
    3. Bears from wood (2 Kings 2:24).
    4. Water for kings (2 Kings 3:20).
    5. Oil for widow (2 Kings 4:1-6).
    6. Gift of son (2 Kings 4:16-17).
    7. Raising from dead (2 Kings 4:36).
    8. Healing of pottage (2 Kings 4:41).
    9. Bread multiplied (2 Kings 4:43).
    10. Naaman healed (2 Kings 5:10).
    11. Gehazi smitten (2 Kings 5:27).
    12. Iron to swim (2 Kings 6:6).
    13. Sight to blind (2 Kings 6:17).
    14. Smiting blindness(2 Kings 6:18)
    15. Restoring sight (2 Kings 6:20).
    16. One after death (2 Kings 13:21).
16 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.
 
17 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.
 
18 And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?
 
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.
 
20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.
 
21 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.
  • Cast the salt = Elisha's second miracle
22 So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.
 
23 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.
  • Children = young men
  • Child was refer to in Genesis = Used of Isaac (twenty-eight years old); Joseph (thirty-nine); Rehoboam (forty).
  • They mock Elisha and God
  • These didn't believe in God, theses were wicked teens
  • Bethel = One of the seats of Israel's calf-worship (1 Kings 12:26-30)
  • 1 Kings 12:26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:
    27 If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.
    28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
    29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.
    30 And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan
  • Elisha lived fifty years longer (2 Kings 13:14)
24 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 won't be mocked
  • Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
25 And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.
  • Carmel =OT:3760 = fruitful, plentiful
  • Samaria = watch mountain = Samaria retained its dignity as the capital of the ten tribes, and the name is given to the northern kingdom as well as to the city. Ahab built a temple to Baal there.
 
• Exactly 2520 years from the exile of Benjamin, Iceland became an independent nation.
 
•  The first tribe to be conquered by the Assyrians was Manasseh, in 745 B.C. Exactly 2520 years later America became a nation on July 4, 1776.
 
• Study the book: Abrahamic Covenant, (A study outline of the identity of God's people) By E. Raymond Capt - page 25

 





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