Pink, “After Elijah’s interview with king Ahaziah we read no more of him till we come to the closing scene of his earthly career, but from the hints conveyed by the Divine record in 2 Kings 2 we gather that his last days here were not idle ones. If not engaged in anything spectacular and dramatic, he was employed in doing what was good and useful. It would seem that both he and Elisha not only instructed the people in private but also founded and superintended seminaries or schools of the prophets in various parts of the land. By training them to read and teach the Word of God, those young men were prepared for the ministry and to carry on the work of reformation in Israel, and therein the prophets were well employed. Such sacred activity, though less striking to the senses, was of far greater importance, for the effect produced by witnessing supernatural wonders, though stirring at the time, soon wears away, whereas the truth received in the soul abides for ever. The time spent by Christ in training the apostles produced more lasting fruit than the prodigies He performed in the presence of the multitudes.

1. LIFE OF ELIJAH 6 THE FI

2. AL CHAPTER
II KI

3. GS 2 COMME

4. TARY
Written and edited by Glenn Pease
PREFACE
Many other authors are quoted in this study, and some of them are unnamed. If someone knows
the author I will gladly give them credit if informed. Some may not wish their wisdom to be
quoted in this study, and I will delete it if the author lets me know that is their choice. My e-mail
is glenn_p86@yahoo.com
I call this the final chapter, for this is where his earthly ministry ended as he was taken up to
heaven. We know, however, that he returned with Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration to talk
with Jesus, and he is to come again into history. So the final chapter of this amazing man is yet to
be written. He is mentioned more in the

5. ew Testament than any other of the prophets, and so
there is much more to be said of his life, but this chapter marks the end of his biography in II
Kings.
I

6. TRODUCTIO

7. 1. Pink, “After Elijah’s interview with king Ahaziah we read no more of him till we come to the
closing scene of his earthly career, but from the hints conveyed by the Divine record in 2 Kings 2
we gather that his last days here were not idle ones. If not engaged in anything spectacular and
dramatic, he was employed in doing what was good and useful. It would seem that both he and
Elisha not only instructed the people in private but also founded and superintended seminaries or
schools of the prophets in various parts of the land. By training them to read and teach the Word
of God, those young men were prepared for the ministry and to carry on the work of reformation
in Israel, and therein the prophets were well employed. Such sacred activity, though less striking
to the senses, was of far greater importance, for the effect produced by witnessing supernatural
wonders, though stirring at the time, soon wears away, whereas the truth received in the soul
abides for ever. The time spent by Christ in training the apostles produced more lasting fruit than
the prodigies He performed in the presence of the multitudes.
Elijah had now almost finished his course. The time of his departure was at hand, how then does

8. he occupy his last hours? what does he do in anticipation of the great change impending? Does he
shut himself up in a cloister that he may not be disturbed by the world? Does he retire to his
chamber that he may devote his last moments to devout meditation and fervent supplication,
making his peace with God and preparing to meet his Judge?

9. o, indeed, he had made his peace
with God many years before and had lived in blessed communion with Him day after day. As for
getting ready to meet his Judge, he had not been so mad as to postpone that all-important task till
the last. He had, by Divine grace, spent his life in walking with God, in performing His bidding,
in trusting in His mercy, and in experiencing His favor. Such a man is always getting ready for
the great change. It is only the foolish virgins that are without oil when the Bridegroom comes. It
is only the worldling and ungodly who put off preparation for eternity till their last moments.
Elijah Taken Up to Heaven
1 When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven
in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from
Gilgal.
1. “The beginning of chapter 2 shows that everyone is apparently aware that the prophet Elijah is
about to be taken away. “

10. ow when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a
whirlwind” is quite an opening statement. The narrator offers no sense of curiosity or incredulity
at this amazing claim. His journey into heaven is to be in a storm of theophanic proportions that
demonstrate that Elijah will be as special in his departure as he was odd while on the earth.

11. ot
yet finished with his earthly work, Elijah is “sent” by Yahweh throughout the central territory of
Israel.

12. o reason is given, but the prophet remains obedient to God as he goes to Gilgal, Bethel,
Jericho and lastly the Jordan River. For each journey Elijah suggests that Elisha remain behind,
but Elisha emphatically states that he will not abandon his master. This threefold repetition
underscores Elisha’s refusal to stay behind. At each stop they encounter a “company of prophets”
who know that this great prophet is about to be taken.” author unknown
1B. Pink, “That the prophet had received previous notification of the Lord’s gracious intention to
give him a supernatural exit from this world appears by his conduct in going from place to place
by Divine direction. "Gilgal" marked the starting-point of his final journey, and most suitably so.
It had been the first stopping-place of Israel after they crossed the Jordan and entered the land of
Canaan (Joshua 4:19). It was there the children of Israel pitched their camp and set up the
tabernacle. It was there they had "kept the passover" and "did eat of the old corn of the land"
instead of the manna on which they had so long been miraculously fed (Joshua 5:10-12). And
Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel" (2:2).

13. Various conjectures have been made as to why Elijah would have Elisha now part company with
him: that he wished to be alone, that modesty and humility would hide from human eyes the
great honour to be bestowed upon him, that he would spare his companion the grief of final
departure, that he would test the strength of his attachment and faith—we incline to this last.”
1C. God is about to end the history of Elijah on earth, but it will continue in a very real sense by
the life of Elisha. He was a student of Elijah, and for several years they walked and served
together so that the student was very much like the master. Their lives were so much alike, and
yet also quite different. Arthur Pink has done a good job of showing the likeness and the
differences in these two lives in the next paragraphs.
2. Pink, “At first glance it may appear that there is a much closer resemblance than antithesis
between the two men. Both of them were prophets, both of them dwelt in Samaria, and they were
confronted with much the same situation. The falling of Elijah’s mantle upon Elisha seems to
indicate that the latter was the successor of the former, called upon to continue his mission. The
first miracle performed by Elisha was identical with the last one wrought by his master: the
smiting of the waters of the Jordan with the mantle, so that they parted asunder for him (2 Kings
2:8, 14). At the beginning of his ministry Elijah had said unto Ahab king of Israel, "As the Lord
God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand" (1 Kings 17:1). And when Elisha came into the
presence of Ahab’s son he also declared, "As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand" (2
Kings 3:14). As Elijah was entertained by the widow of Zarepath and rewarded her by restoring
her son to life (1 Kings 17:22), so Elisha was entertained by a woman at Shunem (2 Kings 4:8-10)
and repaid her by restoring her son to life (2 Kings 4:35-37).
2B. Pink goes on, “Striking as the points of agreement are between the two prophets, the
contrasts in their careers and works are just as vivid and certainly more numerous. One
appeared suddenly and dramatically upon the stage of public action, without a word being told
us of from whence he sprang or how he had previously been engaged; but of the other the name
of his father is recorded, with an account of his occupation at the time he received his call into
God’s service. The first miracle of Elijah was that for the space of three and a half years there
should be neither dew nor rain according to his word, whereas the first public act of Elisha was
to heal the springs of water (2 Kings 2:21, 22) and to produce an abundance of water (2 Kings
3:20). One of the most noticeable features of Elijah’s life was his loneliness, dwelling apart from
the apostate masses of the people; but Elisha seems to have spent most of his life in the company
of the prophets, presiding over their schools. The different manner in which their earthly careers
terminated is even more marked: the one was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire, and the other
fell sick in old age and died a natural death.
The principal contrast between the two prophets appears in the character of the miracles
wrought by and connected with them. The majority of those performed by Elijah were associated
with death and destruction, whereas by far the greater of those attributed to Elisha were works of
healing and restoration. If the former was the prophet of judgment, the latter was the prophet of
grace; if the course of one was fittingly closed by a "whirlwind" removing him from this scene, a
peaceful dove would be the more appropriate emblem of the other. Elisha’s ministry consisted
largely of divine interpositions in a way of mercy, interventions of sovereign goodness, rather
than judicial dealings. He commenced his mission by a miracle of blessing, healing the death-dealing
springs of water. What immediately followed was the establishing of his authority, the

14. symbol of his extraordinary office. The work of Elijah was chiefly a protest against evil, while the
work of Elisha was an almost continuous testimony to the readiness of God to relieve the
distressed and respond to the call of need wherever that call came from a contrite and believing
heart.”
2 Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me
to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD lives
and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went down
to Bethel.
1. David Yarbrough, “Gilgal was the first place Israel camped when they crossed the Jordan and
entered the Promised Land. Gilgal was the place of new beginnings. Here, they were near the
battles, but not fighting them yet. They were in a place of safety, of preparation, and of
communion with the Lord. They were near the place of battle but were not there yet. Here, they
renewed their covenants and grew strong in their relationship with the Lord. For Elijah it was
time for him to remember how it all began for him. How the Lord called him and filled him to
use him for the glory of God.” “Bethel was a holy place for the people of Israel. It was at Bethel
that the patriarch Jacob had met the Lord God, Gen. 28:11-22. Bethel signified the place of the
altar and of total dependence upon the Lord. This is the place that Jacob totally surrendered his
life to God. Bethel was the place of revelation. Bethel was the place where God became known
and where He became big in the eyes of those who worship Him. For Elijah, Bethel was a place to
reflect upon all the altars he had experienced in his life. He remembered how his life had lived in
total dependence upon the Lord God!”
2. Pink, “When first called by Elijah he had declared, "I will follow thee" (1 Kings 19:20). Did he
really mean it? Would he cleave to the prophet unto the end? Elijah tried his faith, to determine
whether his avowal was actuated by a fleeting impulse or if it were a steadfast resolution. Elisha
had meant what he said, and refused now to forsake his master when given the opportunity to do
so. He was determined to have the benefit of the prophet’s company and instruction as long as he
could, and have to him probably in hope of receiving his parting blessing.”
3 The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to
Elisha and asked, "Do you know that the LORD is going
to take your master from you today?"
"Yes, I know," Elisha replied, "but do not speak of it."

15. 1. David Yarbrough, “When Elisha says to the prophets that he knows Elijah is going to die but
he doesn’t want to talk about it I don’t think it was so much because it was too upsetting to him, I
believe it was a matter of focus. Yes everyone knew that God was going to take Elijah but lets
don’t stop and worry over it, lets get ready for it.”
2. Jamison, “This Gilgal (Jiljil) was near Ebal and Gerizim; a school of the prophets was
established there. At Beth-el there was also a school of the prophets, which Elijah had founded,
notwithstanding that place was the headquarters of the calf-worship; and at Jericho there was
another [2Ki 2:4]. In travelling to these places, which he had done through the impulse of the
Spirit (2Ki 2:2, 4-6), Elijah wished to pay a farewell visit to these several institutions, which lay
on his way to the place of ascension and, at the same time, from a feeling of humility and
modesty, to be in solitude, where there would be no eye-witnesses of his glorification. All his
efforts, however, to prevail on his attendant to remain behind, were fruitless.”
4 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, Elisha; the LORD
has sent me to Jericho." And he replied, "As surely as the
LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they
went to Jericho.
1. David Yarbrough, “For the people of Israel, Jericho represented the power of God to give
victory in the day of battle. This was the place of their first major conquest in the Promised Land.
Jericho was the place of victory and power. For Elijah, Jericho was a place for him to remember
all the great victories he had enjoyed in his life. He could reflect back on all the great things God
had done for him and through him. Times like the ravens, the barrel of meal, the resuscitated
child, the victory at Carmel, all flooded the prophet’s mind. He remembered a life of powerful
victories!”
2. Henry, “Elisha had determined, as long as he continued on earth to cleave to him, and not to
leave him. Elijah seemed desirous to shake him off, would have had him stay behind at Gilgal, at
Bethel, at Jericho, 2 Kings 2:2,4,6 . Some think out of humility; he knew what glory God designed
for him, but would not seem to glory in it, nor desired it should be seen of men (God's favourites
covet not to have it proclaimed before them that they are so, as the favourites of earthly princes
do), or rather it was to try him, and make his constant adherence to him the more commendable,
like

16. aomi's persuading Ruth to go back. In vain does Elijah entreat him to tarry here and tarry
there; he resolves to tarry nowhere behind his master, till he goes to heaven, and leaves him
behind on this earth. "Whatever comes of it, I will not leave thee;" and why so?

17. ot only because
he loved him, but, 1. Because he desired to be edified by his holy heavenly converse as long as he

18. staid on earth; it had always been profitable, but, we may suppose, was now more so than ever.
We should do all the spiritual good we can one to another, and get all we can one by another,
while we are together, because we are to be together but a little while. 2. Because he desired to be
satisfied concerning his departure, and to see him when he was taken up, that his faith might be
confirmed and his acquaintance with the invisible world increased. He had long followed Elijah,
and he would not leave him now when he hoped for the parting blessing. Let not those that follow
Christ come short by tiring at last.”
5 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to
Elisha and asked him, "Do you know that the LORD is
going to take your master from you today?"
"Yes, I know," he replied, "but do not speak of it."
1. Pink, “ The force of this seems to be: What is the use of clinging so tenaciously to your master?
He will be taken from you on the morrow, why not stay here with us!”
2. Bob Deffinbaugh, “We should see the importance of Bethel, Jericho, and the Jordan River in
terms of what they shared in common, as disclosed in our text. At each of these places Elijah and
Elisha were met by a gathering of prophets who made up a “prophetic guild” (

19. ET Bible), a
“school of the prophets.” Elijah was making one last circuit, I believe, of those places where there
was a “school of the prophets.” He was regarded as the most prominent prophet of the day, and
all of the prophets seemed to look to him for leadership. At each place, God spoke through the
prophets, revealing that this was Elijah’s day of departure. At each place, the prophets made a
point of making this known to Elisha, but not to Elijah. At each place, Elisha informs the
prophets that he knows this is the day his master will be taken from him, and he instructs them to
be quiet.
So what is this all about? If we take Elijah’s words at face value, as we should, then we know that
this journey is divinely directed. God instructed Elijah to go to Bethel (verse 2), then Jericho
(verse 4), and finally the Jordan (verse 6). I believe God wanted Elijah to visit the prophets one
last time. I believe this is where the “school of the prophets” was located, and that God directed
Elijah and Elisha there so that these prophets would prophecy concerning Elijah’s departure. As
a result, virtually every prophet in Israel knew this was Elijah’s day to “depart,” to be “taken
from Elisha.” It would appear that God wanted Elijah to make this last circuit with Elisha, so
that by the time the day was over all the prophets would realize that Elijah was gone and that
Elisha was his replacement. God was orchestrating the final events of Elijah’s life in such a way
as to designate and accredit Elisha as his replacement.”
6 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; the LORD has sent

20. me to the Jordan." And he replied, "As surely as the
LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So the
two of them walked on.
1. Alison Bucklin, “Three times Elijah told Elisha to stay behind, and three times Elisha refused.
We don’t know why Elijah tells him to stay behind; perhaps this is still more of the depression
that we saw when Elijah was sulking down in the desert. We’ve all known cases when people
refuse an offer of company or help when they really want it, sometimes because they don’t want
you to put yourself out, or possibly because they don’t want to be under an obligation to you, or
maybe they think you didn’t really mean it. We don’t know why Elijah is so emphatic about
telling Elisha to stay behind. Could it be Elijah’s continued reluctance to carry out God’s plans
for the future? It’s clear that he knows Elijah has to be with him to receive the promised
inheritance of his spirit. Maybe he’s just testing Elisha’s loyalty. But whatever the reason, Elisha
refused to abandon Elijah even though told to do so. Whether it was personal loyalty to Elijah
that made him stick, or a commitment to his calling as Elijah’s successor, Elisha refused to jump
ship.”
1B. Elisha had no idea what lay ahead for his ministry when Elijah was taken away. It may have
been scary, and he did not want to talk about it, but he was committed to press on regardless of
the cost and the degree of success he may have. It could be a greater ministry than that of Elijah,
or it could be a much smaller ministry, but it mattered not, of he was determined to follow the
Lord wherever he may lead, just as he was determined to follow Elijah to the very end.
In the harvest field now ripened
There’s a work for all to do;
Hark! the voice of God is calling
To the harvest calling you.
Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame.
There’s a crown—and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’

21. ame.
Does the place you’re called to labor
Seem too small and little known?
It is great if God is in it,
And He’ll not forget His own.
2. David Yarbrough, “For Israel, the river Jordan marked the end of their wilderness
wanderings. It was a picture of death. That is, it was the place where the pilgrims died. When
they crossed Jordan, they were no longer pilgrims, but they were a people who had arrived home.
Jordan was the place of death. For Elijah, it was the perfect place to reflect on all the ways he
had died to self during his years as a man of God. There, he could reflect on the fact that he had
lived a selfless life, and that he had lived a life to the glory of God!”

22. 3. Pink, “Much ground had now been covered; was Elisha tiring of the journey or would he
continue to the end? How many run well for awhile and then grow weary of well-doing?

23. ot so
Elisha. "And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two
went on" (v. 6). How that reminds us of Ruth’s decision: when

24. aomi bade her, "Return thou
after thy sister-in-law," she replied, "Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following
after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge" (1:16).”
3B. Pink goes on, “Various reasons have been advanced by the commentators as to why the
Tishbite should have made such a request. Some think it was because he wished to be alone, that
modesty and humility would not suffer that his companion should witness the very great honor
which was about to be bestowed upon him. Others suppose it was because he desired to spare
Elisha the grief of a final leave-taking. But in view of all that follows, and taking this detail in
connection with the whole incident, we believe these words of the prophet bear quite a different
interpretation, namely, that Elijah was now making proof of Elisha’s determination and
attachment to him. At the time of his call Elisha had said, "I will follow thee," and now he was
given the opportunity to go back if he were so disposed.”
4. We have a strange paradox here, for Elijah told Elisha three times to stay put and not follow
him, but Elisha refused to obey him, and he is honored for his determination to follow his master
all the way to his final step on earth. The paradox is that he is a hero for his disobedience to his
master's orders. He is honored for defying his master, and so we have to say that Elijah did not
really mean it, but was just testing the resolve of his student. If he really meant for Elisha to stay
and not follow him, it would be saying that there are times when the student knows better than
the teacher, and that he should follow his own convictions rather than that of his teacher. It is
hard to imagine this applying to us and our Lord, and pretend that there are times when we
know better than him, but it is possible to apply this to all other human masters and teachers, for
sometimes the student does know things that the teacher does not in terms of personal sensitivity
to the leading of God. Can it be right to say to your teacher, “I love you, but in this situation I am
not going to take your advice?” This could be high risk, but it could also be the best thing to do,
as it was for Elisha.
7 Fifty men of the company of the prophets went and
stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and
Elisha had stopped at the Jordan.
1. These fifty did not get to see what was the special privilege of just one person alone, and that
was Elisha who was allowed to go all the way over Jordan to witness the taking up of Elijah. It
was a private event and not meant for the public display, but one man was permitted to be there
when it happened, for he was to take over the role of Elijah when he was gone.

25. 8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water
with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and
the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
1. Clarke, “..his sheep-skin, says the Septuagint. The skins of beasts, dressed with the hair on,
were formerly worn by prophets and priests as the simple insignia of their office. As the civil
authority was often lodged in the hands of such persons, particularly among the Jews, mantles of
this kind were used by kings and high civil officers when they bore no sacred character. The
custom continues to the present day; a lamb's skin hood or cloak is the badge which certain
graduates in our universities wear; and the royal robes of kings and great officers of state are
adorned with the skins of the animal called the ermine.”
1B. Pink, “This dividing of the Jordan was a fitting prelude to the prophet’s rapture on high. As
Matthew Henry pointed out, it was "the preface to Elijah’s translation into the heavenly Canaan,
as it had been to the entrance of Israel into the earthly Canaan" (Joshua 3:15-17). Elijah and his
companion might have crossed the river by ferry, as other passengers did, but the Lord had
determined to magnify His servant in his exit from the land, as He had Joshua in his entrance
thereto. It was with his rod Moses had divided the sea (Ex. 14:16), here it was with his mantle
Elijah divided the river—each the insignia or badge of his distinctive office.”
2. Alison Bucklin, “ incidentally, this part of the passage shows Elijah as a second Moses and
Elisha as a second Joshua, as both men part the waters as Moses and Joshua had done during the
Exodus.”
3. Alan Carr builds on the progression of the two prophets from place to place as a lesson for all
of us. He wrote, “We too find ourselves at these same places in our walk with the Lord. Far too
many believers spend their entire Christian lives at Gilgal. They never grow and they never leave
the place of beginnings. Some go as far as Bethel. They catch the vision of God’s great work
which must be done. They see the needs, they feel the tug, but they never get past the place of
dreaming about what they might do. They never take the next step of making those dreams and
visions realities. Still others hold onto their Jericho’s. They live in the victories of yesterday. They
remember what happened back there, forgetting that the same God Who blessed then is desiring
to bless now. Then some come to Jordan. This is the barrier between the self-life and the Spirit-life.
Few ever take that final step of faith and sell out to go with God all the way.

26. otice that of all
the prophets, only Elisha had enough faith to cross the river and go with Elijah, and it was Elisha
who received the double portion. Don’t allow the opportunities to settle down along the way to
hinder your progress, but by faith, proceed with God and watch Him remove the barriers, v. 8.)”
4. God's people crossed over the Jordan to take possession of the promised land, and now Elijah

27. crosses the Jordan to enter the ultimate promised land of heaven.
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me,
what can I do for you before I am taken from you?"
"Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit," Elisha
replied.
1. It is obvious that Elijah had a sense that this was the last step in his walk with Elisha, and that
this was the time and place for his being taken by the Lord. They had crossed Jordan, and this
became a term to represent crossing over from this life to the life in heaven. A. W. Tozer wrote, “I
heard a Methodist bishop tell of being called to the bedside of an elderly dying woman in his
early ministry. He said he was frightened; but the old saint was radiantly happy. When he tried
to express the sorrow he felt about her illness, she would not hear it. "Why, God bless you young
man," she said cheerfully, "there is nothing to be scared about. I am just going to cross over
Jordan, where my Father owns the land on both sides of the river!"
Roll Back Old Jordan
Sylvia Merle Greene
First Verse:
There’s a land just over in glory where my loved ones have gone
They’re rejoicing there forever singing a happy song
One of these days and it won’t be long I’ll join their victory song
No, that ole Jordan River can’t keep me from going home
CHORUS:
Roll back ole Jordan River, I’m crossing to the other side
Don’t weep for me my brother, I’ll be ever satisfied
Nothings gonna stop me from crossing over
Nothings gonna hold me down
I’m crossing over Jordan River to receive my robe & crown
Second Verse:
When the river is before me I will have no fear
Then I know the land of promise will be drawing near
When I cross ore the banks of Jordan my race will then be run
Roll back ole Jordan River my toiling here is done
Johnny Cash : I Won't Have To Cross Jordan Alone Lyrics
When I come to the river at the ending of day
When the last winds of sorrow have blown
There'll be somebody waiting to show me the way I won't have to cross Jordan alone
I won't have to cross Jordan alone Jesus died all my sins to atone
In the darkness I see he'll be waiting for me I won't have to cross Jordan alone

28. [ piano ]
Often times I'm weary and troubled and sad
When it seems that my friends have all flown
There is one thought that cheers me and makes my heart glad
I won't have to cross Jordan alone
I won't have to cross Jordan...
[ guitar ]
Though the billows of trouble and sorrow may sweep
Christ the Saviour will care for his own
Till the end of my journey my soul he will keep and I won't have to cross Jordan alone
1B. “As the story moves to its climax, it is as if it is a deathbed scene, although the central
character never dies. Elijah does grant Elisha one “last wish.” The request is a daring and direct
one: a “double share” of Elijah’s spirit. This request stems from the laws of inheritance, where
the firstborn attains a “double portion” (Deuteronomy 21:17) of the inheritance. The challenge of
this request is that generally it would refer to something quantifiable. It is well to note that Elisha
is not asking for twice as much spirit as Elijah has, or to excel over his master, but for twice the
portion received by the other prophets (vv. 7, 15). Elisha is requesting the force, energy and
authority of Elijah — the rûah — and to be recognized and equipped as the true successor of
Elijah. Elisha has already been granted the gift of the spirit, but the proof of its giving will be
seen only in the work in which the younger prophet will engage.” author unknown
1C. Crossing Jordan can also be a term that refers to making a final commitment to go all the
way with the Lord. All the other prophets stayed behind and watched, but Elisha crossed over the
Jordan with Elijah, and he received the double portion. Full commitment leads to fullness of
blessing. Charles W.

29. aylor put it in song:
Dost Thy soul ransomed from Egypt,
Yet in the wilderness stay?
Canaan’s fair land is before thee,
Cross over Jordan today.
Refrain:
Look, oh, my brother,
Canaan, the land of the blest,
Lies now before thee;
Haste to the place of thy rest.
1. Spend not thy life thus forever
Treading the wilderness way;
Enter the fullness of favor,
Cross over Jordan today.
2. Life will be pleasanter, sweeter,
Stony no longer the way;
Many the foes left behind thee—
Cross over Jordan today.

30. 3. Why dost thou shrink from the crossing?
Thinkest thou still of delay?
Waiting will not make thee stronger,
Cross over Jordan today.
4. Thou art abundantly able,
Falter not now by the way;
Grace all-abounding is waiting,
Cross over Jordan today.
2. Pink, “Here was his noble answer to Elijah’s "What shall I do for thee?" Rising above both the
lusts and sentiments of the flesh, he asked not anything nature might have coveted, but that
which was spiritual, seeking not his own aggrandizement but the glory of God. We do not think
he asked for something superior to what his master had enjoyed, but a portion "double" that
which was communicated to the other prophets. He was to take Elijah’s place on the stage of
public action: he was to be the leader of "the sons of the prophets" (as v. 15 intimates), and
therefore he wished to be equipped for his mission. Rightly did he "covet earnestly the best
gifts": he asked for a double portion of the spirit of prophecy—of wisdom and grace, of faith and
strength—that he might be "thoroughly furnished unto all good works." “Chronologists reckon
that the ministry of Elisha lasted at least twice the length of his predecessor’s and apparently he
wrought double the number of miracles.”
2B. Pink goes on, “This we believe showed three things.
First, it revealed his modesty and humility, being an acknowledgment of his weakness and
insufficiency. He was conscious of his unfitness for his mission and felt that nothing but a
plentiful supply of the Spirit which had rested upon the Tishbite would be enough for the tasks
confronting him. Happy is the young servant of Christ who is aware of his own impotence, for in
felt weakness lies his strength. Happy is the one who has experimentally learned the force of that
word, "

31. ot by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD" (Zech. 4:6).
Second, if Elisha were to take Elijah’s place at the head of the schools of the prophets, then he
needed a superior endowment to theirs, a double supply of the Spirit of wisdom and power.
Third, as the accredited servant of God, he needed more than the rank and file of His people: not
only the Spirit’s indwelling, but also the Spirit’s resting upon him.”
3. David Yarbrough, “IF YOU WA

32. T A DOUBLE PORTIO

33. OF GOD YOU MUST FOLLOW
CLOSLY THOSE WHOM GOD HAS A

35. OI

36. TED
Joshua followed Moses Exodus 33:11
Timothy followed Paul
I don’t think Elijah was trying to get rid of Elisha as much as he was putting his close
companion, his successor-in-the-making, to the test. But Elisha was relentless. He stayed by the
old prophet’s side. We need a few Elishas in our lives, intimate friends who will stick with us
through thick and thin. They bring us strength and encouragement; they are a rare breed indeed!

37. 4. Alan Carr, “Elisha is told that he has asked a “hard thing”. In other words, it was beyond the
power of Elijah to grant such a request. Only God could raise up prophets and give positions of
power and influence. On the surface, Elisha’s request seems a little selfish! It seems as though he
is asking for twice the power and twice the glory, etc. In truth, his request is most humble in
nature. Elisha knows that Israel still needs a man of God to deliver the word of God and do the
work of God. He also knows that if he is to be that man, then he needs power that he does not
possess! He needs the power of God working in him and through him if he is to accomplish this
ministry! (

38. ote: Elisha wasn’t asking for power, wealth or position. He was asking to be
controlled by the Spirit of God. In fact, to be a dedicated, outspoken man of God during the
dynasty of the house of Omri and Ahab, was to live a life of constant danger! He was asking for
divine power to accomplish the will of God! This request was not about pride, it was about
necessity!”
5. Bob Deffinbaugh, “As his time grew short and Elijah knew he could not be rid of Elisha, he
asked his servant what he could do for him as a final gesture. Some are inclined to suppose that
by his answer, Elisha betrays a kind of ambition that is unseemly. I don’t see this at all. Elisha
must have known that he was designated at Elijah’s replacement from the very beginning (1
Kings 19:16, 19-21). Elijah signified this when he threw his robe over Elisha (19:19).

39. ow, Elisha
had torn his own robes and was wearing the robe Elijah left behind (2:13-14). If Elisha was to
carry out his task of replacing Elijah, then he would need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to
do it. If Elisha thought of Elijah as twice the man he was, then in his mind it would take twice the
Spirit to enable him to carry on his ministry. I do not see an ambitious man here; I see a humble
man, who desires the grace that is needed for him to do his job well.”
6. Gill, “..the two parts of the gifts of the spirit he had, that of prophecy, and that of doing
miracles, as some think; or two parts out of three of what Elijah was possessed of; or rather
double as much, and which he might desire, not from a spirit of vanity and ambition to be greater
than his master, but from an eagerness to promote the glory of God, and the interest of religion,
to reclaim the Israelites from their idolatry, and establish the true religion, which he might
observe Elijah was not able to do with that measure of grace and gifts he had; or however this
phrase denotes an abundance, a large portion or measure, as it everywhere does. Many, after Ben
Gersom, have thought it refers to the double portion of the firstborn, and that Elisha does not
mean a double portion with respect to Elijah, but with respect to the junior prophets, with whom
he might be considered as a firstborn, and so desired a double or greater portion than they, and
which may be most correct; and when he asked this, he did not suppose it was in Elijah's power
to give him it, only that he would pray to God, at parting with him, that he would bestow it on
him.”
7. Henry, “Here, I. Elijah makes his will, and leaves Elisha his heir, now anointing him to be
prophet in his room, more than when he cast his mantle upon him, 1 Kings 19:19 .
1. Elijah, being greatly pleased with the constancy of Elisha's affection and attendance, bade him
ask what he should do for him, what blessing he should leave him at parting; he does not say (as
bishop Hall observes), "Ask of me when I am gone, in heaven I shall be better able to befriend
thee," but, "Ask before I go." Our friends on earth may be spoken to, and can give us an answer,
but we know not that we can have access to any friend in heaven but Christ, and God in him.

40. Abraham is ignorant of us.
2. Elisha, having this fair opportunity to enrich himself with the best riches, prays for a double
portion of his spirit. He asks not for wealth, nor honour, nor exemption from trouble, but to be
qualified for the service of God and his generation, he asks, (1.) For the Spirit, not that the gifts
and graces of the Spirit were in Elijah's power to give, therefore he says not, "Give me the Spirit"
(he knew very well it was God's gift), but "Let it be upon me, intercede with God for this for me."
Christ bade his disciples ask what they would, not one, but all, and promised to send the Spirit,
with much more authority and assurance than Elijah could. (2.) For his spirit, because he was to
be a prophet in his room, to carry on his work, to father the sons of the prophets and face their
enemies, because he had the same perverse generation to deal with that he had, so that, if he have
not his spirit, he has not strength according to the day. (3.) For a double portion of his spirit; he
does not mean double to what Elijah had, but double to what the rest of the prophets had, from
whom so much would not be expected as from Elisha, who had been brought up under Elijah. It
is a holy ambition to covet earnestly the best gifts, and those which will render us most serviceable
to God and our brethren.

41. ote, We all ought, both ministers and people, to set before us the
example of our predecessors, to labor after their spirit, and to be earnest with God for that grace
which carried them through their work and enabled them to finish well.”
8. Elisha was a man who wanted double the spirit of his Spirit filled Teacher. He wanted his life to
be sold out to God, and completely lived under the guidance of God's Spirit. This is rare, and few
really pray for such a life, but all of us need to pray something on the level of the following poem.
Stir me, oh, stir me, Lord! I care not how,
But stir my heart in passion for the world;
Stir me to give, to go, but most of all to pray;
Stir, till thy blood-red banner be unfurled
O'er lands that still in deepest darkness lie,
O'er homes where no cross is lifted high.
Stir me, O stir me, Lord! Thy heart was stirred
By love's intensest fire, till Thou didst give
Thine only Son, Thy best-beloved One,
Even to the dreadful cross, that I might live;
Stir me Lord to give myself so back to Thee
That Thou canst give Thyself again through me.
[“Stir Me”-Bessie Porter Head]

42. 10 "You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah said, "yet if
you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours,
otherwise not."
1. Ron Daniel, “The life of the prophet, of the preacher, of the pastor, of the minister, is not easy.
Although it looks attractive at times, it is very difficult. It takes every minute of your life, it
requires that you empty yourself of yourself all the time. It means living in a glass house, and
attracts the arrows of the enemy. And I believe that this is why so many people leave the ministry
in the first few years. They go in expecting to be popular, to be the center of attention, to have
blessings bestowed upon them, to be the authority, to be a respected leader. But then the reality
sets in that it was nothing like they imagined. People complain, they rebel, they gossip, and they
take. So the disillusioned ministers first wise up, then get fed up, and finally they give up.
Understand that I'm not complaining in the slightest about my lot in life - I love the ministry
because God has called me to it. But it is also incredibly difficult. And so I know that when
someone comes to me saying, "I want to be a pastor," I tell them in so many words, "You have
asked a hard thing." Elisha was in for great difficulties, just as Elijah had endured.”
1B. David Yarbrough, “The mind-set of too many Christians is far too limited. We would do well
to learn a lesson about vision from Elijah’s faithful companion. Yet even Elijah, with all the great
things he asked of God – remember, this is the man who called down fire from heaven – is a bit
taken back here. “That’s a tough one,” he tells Elisha. “But if you see me when I’m taken from
you, then what you ask shall be yours. If you don’t, it will not be.” After that there was no way
Elisha was going to let Elijah out of his sight.”
2. Pink, “Elisha had asked not for riches or glory, wisdom or power, but for a double portion of
the spirit that rested on and wrought through his master. In terming it "a hard thing" Elijah
appears to have emphasized the great value of such a bestowment: it was as though he said, That
is much for you to expect. We regard Matthew Henry’s comment as a pertinent one: "Those are
best prepared for spiritual blessings that are most sensible of their worth and their own
unworthiness to receive." Elisha felt his own weakness and utter insignificance for such a work as
that to which he was called, and therefore he desired to be qualified for his eminent office.”
2B. “Elisha is told that he has asked a “hard thing”. In other words, it was beyond the power of
Elijah to grant such a request. Only God could raise up prophets and give positions of power and
influence. On the surface, Elisha’s request seems a little selfish! It seems as though he is asking
for twice the power and twice the glory, etc. In truth, his request is most humble in nature. Elisha
knows that Israel still needs a man of God to deliver the word of God and do the work of God. He
also knows that if he is to be that man, then he needs power that he does not possess! He needs
the power of God working in him and through him if he is to accomplish this ministry! (

43. ote:
Elisha wasn’t asking for power, wealth or position. He was asking to be controlled by the Spirit of
God. In fact, to be a dedicated, outspoken man of God during the dynasty of the house of Omri
and Ahab, was to live a life of constant danger! He was asking for divine power to accomplish the
will of God! This request was not about pride, it was about necessity!” author unknown

44. 3. Dr. W. A. Criswell has the best insight into this verse. “And when Elijah gave that test to Elisha
about whether he would see him or not when he was taken away and raptured up to glory, that is
the test of the spiritual eye, the sensitivity of the true man of God, for the heavens are filled with
the glory of the Almighty. And the lightning rides the backs of God's cherubim and the forked
powers of heaven are chained in the hands of His cherubim. But we don't see it because we are
carnally minded and our eyes are blinded by the material dedications of our lives.
Had we been there we would have seen nothing but the bare desert and the empty, scenery
around us. Though the air in the sky is filled with the flaming presence of the cherubim and the
seraphim and the angels of Almighty God, it takes eyes to see them. And Elijah said to Elisha, if
you see, if you see when the chariot comes from God to take me to heaven, then you'll have your
reward—If you're able to see it—Spiritual eyes to see the presence and the power and the flaming
host of Almighty God.
Isaiah in the temple saw the Lord high and lifted up in the holy of holies, in the sanctuary and
His train filling the temple. But when the imperious Roman legionnaire, Pompey, that Gentile
that pulled aside that veil and entered into the holy of holies, when Pompey walked into that same
sanctuary why there's nothing, there's nothing here. But Isaiah saw in that same place, the Lord
of high and lifted up whose glory filled the temple—with eyes to see, with eyes to see.
In the twelfth chapter of the Gospel of John, the Lord God spoke to Jesus. But the people who
were around just heard a noise. It was Christ whose ear was turned to heaven could hear the
voice. On the Damascus road, it was Paul who saw the vision of the exalted and risen Lord. His
companion saw nothing at all. It was Paul who heard the great call of God to his apostolic
ministry, the people just heard a sound and that was all. It takes spiritual ears. It takes spiritual
sensitivity, it takes spiritual eyes, to see the presence of the Lord God Almighty. And that was the
criterion by which Elijah made that promise to Elisha: If you have eyes to see, if you see, if you
see when the angels come down and I'm raptured to glory, your promise, your request will be
answered.
And Elisha had that penetrating spirit of the soul. When you turn the page to the sixth chapter
of 2 Kings, when that servant of Elisha was so distressed because of the armies around them,
Elisha said to God, "Open the eyes of the young man." And the Lord opened his eyes, and the
Book says, "And the mountains were filled with horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha,"
but only the prophet could see them. It was a fair critique: if you see me, it will be done unto you.
And Elisha saw it.”
4. Martin B Copenhaver also has a good insight: “Elijah had said that if Elisha saw him go he
would inherit his spirit in double measure.

45. ow it is clear why that was essential. If Elisha had
not seen this, he would still be looking for Elijah, and thinking of him as living. Seeing Elijah
leave was like seeing the dead body of a loved one—it helped bring home the reality. Seeing the
master go made it clear that now it was up to Elisha. The spirit he so admired in another now
resided in him.”

46. 5. Elijah spent his last day on earth teaching and encouraging his students and his friend Elisha.
How would you spend your last day on earth if you knew it was coming today? This is a
challenging question to answer for yourself, for it should motivate you to look at your life and
how much of it you give to the ministry of advancing the kingdom of God on earth.
11 As they were walking along and talking together,
suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and
separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven
in a whirlwind.
1.

47. otice that these two prophets were walking and talking side by side right up to the last
moment that Elijah was on this earth. This is a strong picture of true friendship. Elijah had been
a loner more of his life it seems. The Biblical record shows him isolated most of the time. He
comes out into the open to do a great miracle and then slips away into hiding again. Apart form
the widow and her son he had no close relationship with anyone. He did not know that there were
7 thousand who had not bowed to Baal, for he had no friends among this large group of believers.
Here at last we see this old prophet with a close friend who will stand by him to the end. Even
when Elijah tried to ditch him, he refused to stay back. He walked with him to the very end, for
he wanted all he could get from Elijah. He loved him and wanted to be like him. He was the best
friend Elijah ever had. If Elijah had any regret about leaving this world, it would likely be due to
having to leave the side of this close companion Elisha.
1B. Spurgeon, “Then notice that Elijah and Elisha were talking as they went on, and holding
communion with each other. Old Bishop Hall says they must have been talking of some very
solemn and heavenly subjects, or else one would have thought that they would have been on their
knees praying instead of talking; but he very properly adds, that "sometimes mediation is best
and sometimes conversation." So was it in their case. Elijah had a great deal to say to Elisha; he
was about to leave the State and the Church in very perilous times, so he talked fast to the man
who was to bear the burden and heat of the day, and poured the whole case into his ear; and no
doubt Elisha asked him many questions, and was informed by him upon many knotty points, and
so "they still went on, and talked." Let our talk always be like their talk, and then it will be well
to die talking. "They that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened,
and heard.
It was sudden, though expected. They were talking, and just in the middle of a sentence, perhaps,
they were parted. There was no noises, for the wheels of that chariot moved not on earth, but its
brightness shone around them. They looked back, and they saw strange steeds, whose eyeballs
flashed with flame, and whose necks were clothed with thunder; and behind them was a chariot
brighter than the golden car in which the Caesars rode, for it was a car of fire, and Elijall knew it
was one of the chariots of God, which are twenty thousand, that he had sent to take his favourite
servant up to the ivory palaces, where the King himself dwells. It was sudden; the parting came

48. in a moment; and I suppose that death is usually sudden. Even though persons may be, as we say,
long dying, yet the actual moment of departure comes suddenly. The bowl is broken with a crash,
and the silver cord is loosed; the chain is snapped, and the eagle mounts to dwell in the
sun............Though terrible, how triumphant! Oh, what splendor, to ride to heaven in a chariot!

49. o foot-passenger wading through Jordan's stream, and going up dripping on the other bank to
be met by the shining ones. That is bright and glorious. The good dreamer of Bedford Gaol
dreamed well when he dreamed that; but this is more triumphant still,—to mount the car, and
stand erect, and ride up to the throne of God, drawn thither by horses of fire!”
1C. Alan Carr, “By the way, this is something that could happen to you and me! The Bible
teaches us that there will be a future event know as the rapture. At that time, the Lord Jesus
Christ will return in the clouds above this earth and He will call His people home to Heaven, 1
Thes. 4:13-18. This is a precious event that could happen to us at any moment, 1 Cor. 15:51-52,
and when it does, we will go to Heaven without having to die to get there. That excites me! I think
I'll just repeat the prayer John prayed on Patmos: "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.", Rev.
22:20.”
1D. We note that Elijah knew he was going to heaven very soon, and yet he did not sit down and
cease to be active in his teaching. Waiting does not mean no longer walking, for one can walk
while waiting, and that is what we are all to do. We are all waiting for the day of dying or being
raptured, but we are to be walking with the Lord, and being a servant of God's kingdom right up
to the end. He was still able to walk long distances, and still able to teach, and yet the Lord took
him home. God does not always wait until we have no more work to do before he takes us. He
could have waiting for a long time yet before he took Elijah, but God had him prepare a young
man to be ready to take over, and so he removed him from the scene. God does take some to
heaven when they still have the capacity to keep working. We do not know why he removed
Elijah when he was still in good shape, and able to be a useful servant, and so it is with many who
have much to offer, but who are taken in their prime.
1E. Elijah was working as he was walking right up to minute he was taken, and he is our example
of what God wants us to be. An unknown author put it like this: “The lesson for us is this: there
will never come a day when we can quit serving the Lord. Even though we know we are leaving,
and that our leaving could be today, we should still seek to live lives that are filled with surrender
to the call of the Lord. Several years ago, there was a group of people in Texas who became
convinced that Jesus was going to return on a given date. As a result, they sold all their
possessions, quit their jobs and went to the top of a mountain, sat down and waited fro the
rapture. That is not what God wants you and me to be doing! He wants us to be busy in His work
until He returns to take us home to glory! This was the problem in Thessalonika, 2 Thes. 3:11-13.
These people were looking for Jesus to return at any moment, so they just quit doing anything.
That is not God's plan! If we want to take a biblical example, let us look to the book of

50. ehemiah.
As he and his workers were being threatened by their enemies, they worked with one hand and
held a weapon in the other,

51. eh. 4:17. In other words, they watched and they worked all at the
same time! I will say it again, there will never come a day when we can quit serving the Lord! If
you have been guilty of quitting on the Lord, let me encourage you to pick up your tools again!
There is work to be done! Let us work until Jesus comes for us, whether it be in the clouds or by
the clods. Let us work until we see His face, then we shall enter into our time of perfect rest, Heb.
4:9.”

52. 2. When God decides to take someone to heaven he does not waste any time in preliminaries. It is
sudden and swiftly that it takes place. Enoch was the only other man never to die, and his
disappearance was also sudden, for Enoch walked with God and then he was no more, for God
took him. God is very decisive when he takes someone to heaven. It is instant, in a twinkling of an
eye. These two man are the rarest of godly men, for they alone were taken without dying. Elijah is
even more unique in that he was actually seen being taken, and it was by an amazing sight with a
chariot and horses of fire. It was a once in history event. Abraham was a friend of God, and
David was a man after God's own heart, but they died as all other men. Only Elijah had this
special transportation into God's heavenly presence. Alison Bucklin wrote, “It is, after all, Elijah
that Malachi said would return before the “great and terrible day of the Lord.” It is Elijah for
whom Jews set an extra place at the table during Passover. It was Elijah that the people of Judea
compared John the Baptist to, and asked Jesus about. And it was Elijah who appeared with
Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration. Elijah is the superstar, the all-time highest scorer on
God’s team.”
3. Pink, “ It is to be carefully noted that God did not send His chariot for Elijah while he was in
Samaria.

53. o, the land of Israel was polluted and Ichabod was written over it. It was on the far
side of Jordan, in the place of separation, that this signal honour was conferred upon the prophet.
As the souls of the saints are conveyed to Paradise by the angels (Luke 16:22), so we believe it was
by celestial beings, the highest among them, that Elijah was taken to heaven. "seraphim"
signifies "fiery," and God is said to make His angels "a flaming fire" (Ps. 104:4), while
"cherubim" are called "the chariots of God" (Ps. 68:57 and cf. Zech. 1:8; 6:1) . "Elijah was to
remove to the world of angels, and so angels were sent to conduct him thither" (Matthew Henry),
that he might ride in state and triumph to the skies like a conqueror.”
“As he had taught men, at the constant hazard of his life, the knowledge of the only true God, so
he would now teach them by his being taken alive into heaven that there is a future state, that
there is a world beyond the skies into which the righteous are admitted, where they shall
henceforth dwell with God and all the angelic hosts in glory everlasting. Future bliss shall
infinitely compensate present sacrifices and sufferings: he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Elijah’s supernatural exit from this world also demonstrated the fact that the human body is
capable of immortality! It could not witness to the truth of resurrection, for he never died; but his
corporeal removal to Heaven furnished indubitable evidence that the body is capable of being
immortalized and of living in celestial conditions.”
3B. Pink continues, “In the translation of Elijah we see how much better are God’s ways than
ours. In an hour of despondency the prophet had wanted to leave this world before God’s time
had come for him to do so, and by a way far inferior to that which He had appointed: under the
juniper tree he had requested that he might die, saying, "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away
my life" (1 Kings 19:4). Had he been granted his desire, how much he had lost! How much better
than to be taken away by death in a fit of impatience! And this is recorded for our instruction,
pointing as it does a lesson we all need take to heart. It is the part of wisdom to leave ourselves
and all our affairs in God’s gracious hands, trusting Him fully and being willing for Him to use
His own measures and methods with us. We are certain to sustain serious loss if we determine to
have our own way: "He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul" (Ps. 106:15).

54. The mature Christian will assure his younger brethren that today he thanks God for refusing the
answers he once craved. God denies thy request now because He has ordained something better
for thee.”
4. “The prophet Elijah ascended to heaven in a whirlwind, not a rocket — but his liftoff was
every bit as spectacular as the launches we watch today on C

56. . His blastoff included a chariot
of fire and horses of fire, a sight so overwhelming that it caused his mini-me prophet, Elisha, to
cry out in amazement as Elijah disappeared from view (2 Kings 2:11-12). Like a roaring rocket
that causes us to stand slack-jawed until it becomes a tiny speck and then disappears into space,
Elijah exited the earth in a blaze of glory.” author unknown
5. This text becomes the basis for the famous

57. egro spiritual: “"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" was
composed by Wallis Willis, a Choctaw freedman in the old Indian Territory, sometime before 1862.
He was inspired by the Red River which reminded him of the Jordan River and of the Prophet
Elijah being taken to heaven by a chariot.”
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home
I looked over Jordan, and I what did I see
Coming for to carry me home?
A band of angels coming after me
Coming for to carry me home
If you get there before I do
Coming for to carry me home
Tell all my friends I coming too
Coming for to carry me home
I'm sometimes up, I'm sometimes down
Coming for to carry me home
But still my soul feels heavenly bound
Coming for to carry me home.
6. Clarke, “That is a chariot and horses of the most resplendent glory, which, manifesting itself in
coruscations or shooting rays, seemed to be like blazing fire, or like the sun in his strength. Some
think that this circumstance, know in the heathen world, gave rise to the fable of Apollo, or the
sun, being seated in a blazing chariot, drawn by horses which breathed and snorted fire. These
horses were four and called Pyroeis, Eous, AEthon, and Phlegon; all which words signify fire or
resplendent light. So OVID: Meanwhile the restless horses neighed aloud, Breathing out fire and
pawing where they stood,

58. or would you find it easy to compose The mettled steeds, when from
their nostrils flows The scorching fire, that in their entrils glows. Even I their headstrong fury
scarce restrain, When they grow worm, and restiff to the rein. DRYDE

59. . Perhaps the whole of
this fable, which represents Phaethon son of Apollo requesting to drive the chariot of his father the

60. horses and chariot of fire) for one day, was borrowed from the request of Elisha to his spiritual
father Elijah, whom he afterwards saw borne away by a whirlwind, in a chariot of fire drawn by
fiery steeds..
7. Constable, “The chariot and horses of fire symbolized God's powerful heavenly army (cf.
6:17). This display of the instruments of spiritual warfare separated the two prophets and
apparently could have frightened Elisha into running away and losing his desired blessing (v.
11).The chariot and horses of fire had polemic value since the Canaanites called Baal "therider of
clouds."12 The whirlwind (shekinah?) took Elijah miraculously into heaven, not the fiery horses
and chariot (v. 11). Elijah had thought he was indispensable to God at one time (1 Kings 19:10,
14), but God had told him that he would remove him and work through others (1 Kings 19:11-
18). Elijah's translation to heaven was a blessing for him since he entered heaven without dying.”
8. Ron Daniel, “Mal. 4:5-6 “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming
of the great and terrible day of the LORD. And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to {their}
children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a
curse.” And in fact, he met with Jesus and Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration some 400
years later (Matt. 17:3). He will come again before the great and terrible day of the Lord, I
believe as one of the two witnesses of Revelation 11.”
9. David Guzik, “This was the end of a remarkable ministry, one that was in many ways similar
to the ministry of Moses. Both Moses and Elijah:
· Stood alone for righteousness
· Were associated with fire upon mountains
· Were associated with the desert
· Met God on Sinai
· Were chased out of their countries by pagan rulers
· Knew God’s miraculous provision for food and water
· Wandered in the desert for a period measured by 40
· Fasted for 40 days
· Were powerful examples of prayer
· Parted waters
· Had close associates who succeeded them
· Had successors that parted waters also
· Had mysterious or strange deaths
10. Henry, “It is not for us to say why God would put such a peculiar honor upon Elijah above

61. any other of the prophets; he was a man subject to like passions as we are, knew sin, and yet never
tasted death. Wherefore is he thus dignified, thus distinguished, as a man whom the Kings of
kings did delight to honor? We may suppose that herein, 1. God looked back upon his past
services, which were eminent and extraordinary, and intended a recompense for those and an
encouragement to the sons of the prophets to tread in the steps of his zeal and faithfulness, and,
whatever it cost them, to witness against the corruptions of the age they lived in.”
11. Henry, “What convoy his Lord sent for him--a chariot of fire and horses of fire, which
appeared either descending upon them from the clouds or (as bishop Patrick thinks) running
towards them upon the ground: in this form the angels appeared. The souls of all the faithful are
carried by an invisible guard of angels into the bosom of Abraham; but, Elijah being to carry his
body with him, this heavenly guard was visible, not in a human shape, as usual, though they
might so have borne him up in their arms, or carried him as on eagles' wings, but that would
have been to carry him like a child, like a lamp (Isaiah 40:11,31); they appear in the form of a
chariot and horses, that he may ride in state, may ride in triumph, like a prince, like a conqueror,
yea, more than a conqueror. The angels are called in scripture cherubim and seraphim, and their
appearance here, though it may seem below their dignity, answers to both those names; for (1.)
Seraphim signifies fiery, and God is said to make them a flame of fire, Psalms 104:4. (2.)
Cherubim (as many think) signifies chariots, and they are called the chariots of God (Psalms
68:17), and he is said to ride upon a cherub (Psalms 18:10), to which perhaps there is an allusion
in Ezekiel's vision of four living creatures, and wheels, like horses and chariots; in Zechariah's
vision, they are so represented, Compare Rev. vi. 2, &c. See the readiness of the angels to do the
will go God, even in the meanest services, for the good of those that shall be heirs of salvation.
Elijah must remove to the world of angels, and therefore, to show how desirous they were of his
company, some of them would come to fetch him. The chariot and horses appeared like fire, not
for burning, but brightness, not to torture or consume him, but to render his ascension
conspicuous and illustrious in the eyes of those that stood afar off to view it. Elijah had burned
with holy zeal for God and his honour, and now with a heavenly fire he was refined and
translated.”
11B. Henry, “Whither he was carried. He went up by a whirlwind into heaven. The fire tends
upward; the whirlwind helped to carry him through the atmosphere, out of the reach of the
magnetic virtue of this earth, and then how swiftly he ascended through the pure ether to the
world of holy and blessed spirits we cannot conceive.
"But where he stopped will ne'er be known,
'Till Phenix-nature, aged grown,
To a better being shall aspire,
Mounting herself, like him, to eternity infire."
COWLEY.
Elijah had once, in a passion, wished he might die; yet God was so gracious to him as not only not
to take him at his word then, but to honour him with this singular privilege, that he should never
see death; and by this instance, and that of Enoch, (1.) God showed how men should have left the
world if they had not sinned, not by death, but by a translation. (2.) He gave a glimpse of that life
and immortality which are brought to light by the gospel, of the glory reserved for the bodies of
the saints, and the opening of the kingdom of heaven to all believers, as then to Elijah. It was also a
figure of Christ's ascension.”

62. 11C. Henry, “What his Lord, when he came, found him doing. He was talking with Elisha,
instructing and encouraging him, directing him in his work, and quickening him to it, for the
good of those whom he left behind. He was not meditating nor praying, as one wholly taken up
with the world he was going to, but engaged in edifying discourse, as one concerned about the
kingdom of God among men. We mistake if we think our preparation for heaven is carried on
only by contemplation and the acts of devotion. Usefulness to others will pass as well in our
account as any thing. Thinking of divine things is good, but talking of them (if it come from the
heart) is better, because for edification, 1 Corinthians 14:4 . Christ ascended as he was blessing his
disciples.”
12. Heaven is made real by this miracle, and it had to make all of the prophets nearby, and all of
the believers when they heard of it, to long for the day they could join Elijah in heaven. Today it
is not a major concern for vast numbers of people. Heaven is not on their minds, and this has led
to some humor by Christians, as we see below.
“PRESS RELEASE. Due to the falloff in devotional activities and increased human
preoccupation with material concerns caused by the dot.com crash, heaven has announced a
major downsizing and re-engineering effort. “It is needed to bring supply more in line with
demand for our services,” announced Senior Vice President Gabriel, a highly placed spokesman
for God. “Unfortunately, this happens from time to time and there’s little we can do except to cut
back, given our historic commitment to free will. We don’t want to force our product on
unwilling consumers, and now is a good time for us to retrench and reconsider our basic value
proposition.”
Marketing executive, Michael, echoed Gabriel’s remarks and said that a re-engineering effort
was long overdue. “Heaven has been sliding along on blind faith for at least 6,000 years while
science and postmodernism have eaten into our core markets,” he said. “We’ve seen a decline in
almost all our major product areas; even our premium lines like

63. irvana and Valhallah are down
from their Bronze Age highs. Guilt, Fear and Shame just don’t seem to bring ’em in any more.
It’s time for heaven to regroup and get more competitive, especially in emerging markets like
Human Potential, Recovery and 12-step, Chaos Theory, Jungian Archetypes, and so on.”
—“Press release about heaven,” John Mark Ministries, pastornet.net. Retrieved September 15,
2002.
12 Elisha saw this and cried out, "My father! My father!
The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" And Elisha saw
him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and
tore them apart.

64. 1. David Yarbrough, “They were walking along and talking together. Elijah was not preaching or
prophesying. It was just the two intimate friends. Walking along together and talking. What a
fantastic moment that must have been. Then just like that! Instantly he was gone “up to heaven
in a whirlwind.” Elisha saw the chariots, and he cried out in amazement and fright. He must
have been physically and mentally terrified at this sight.” “What if Elisha would have thought he
liked his clothes too much to put on Elijah’s coat? Elisha tore away his clothes just as he was
tearing away from his old way of life in which he was a follower of Elijah to a leader of God’s
people. You’ve heard the expression it’s time to make a new break, that’s exactly what Elisha did.
You know that as the years went on that Elisha looked down at that old cloak of Elijah and
remembered the times they spent together. Times when Elijah fearlessly proclaimed the Almighty
God to the pagan world, and the time when God’s power came to rest on Elisha. That old cloak
served to strengthen the younger Elisha, whom God destined to use in even greater ways.”
2. Spurgeon, “If we have lost wife, or husband, or child, or friend, in this sudden way, what ought
we to do? You see what Elisha did. First of all, he rent his clothes, which was the Eastern mode of
showing his grief. Well, you may weep, for "Jesus wept." Do not think there is any sin in
sorrowing over departed friends, for the Lord never denies to us those human feelings which are
rather kindly than vicious. Had there been death before the Fall, I could imagine even perfect,
Adam weeping at the loss of Eve; nay, he would have been no perfect man if he could have lost his
spouse, and not have wept. "Jesus wept;" we regard him all the more as Jesus because he wept;
and you could not be like Jesus unless you wept too. The gospel does not make us Stoics; it makes
us Christians. Still, you must remember that there is a moderation in grief. The Quaker was right
who, when he saw a lady fretting on the sofa some year or so after her husband was dead, still
harboring grief without a token of resignation, said to her, "Madam, I see you have not forgiven
God yet." Sometimes grief is not a sacred feeling, but only a murmur of rebellion against the
Most High. Yes, you may rend your garments; and if you like, you may do a little more. Elisha not
only rent his garments, but be cried "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the
horsemen thereof," and in doing this he eulogized his departed friend. He seemed to say, "He has
been a father to me; I have lost one who was very tender to me, one who trained me, and watched
over me, and fostered me as a father."
3. “Elisha’s call of “Father, father” is not one of shock or surprise, but of recognition and loss.
The cry of “Father, father” is that of respect; a title used in the “company of the prophets.” It is
followed, however, by “The chariots of Israel and its horsemen,” the meaning of which is
disputed in academic circles. Some scholars believe that the words indicate that Elijah has been
the all-powerful protector of Israel, mediating God’s power; others believe the words refer to the
heavenly armies accompanying Elijah; and yet others believe that the title originally belonged to
Elisha, and was later transferred to this theophany, of which fire was a common element (cf
Exodus 24:17; Isaiah 30:27).
The departure of Elijah moves Elisha to tear his clothes — a gesture of grief at a time of loss.
Whether Elisha’s actions are signs of grief for his now-lost mentor, or his reaction to the awesome
sight, is unknown. The parting of the two prophets is caught in a linguistic play on words: The
last image of separation and division in this story results in tearing his clothes in two pieces,

65. where the usual expression is simply the tearing of garments. But here the “two pieces” suggest a
weighty change from “the two of them together” from verses 6 and 11. The two prophets, like the
two pieces of clothing, have been torn apart, and now Elisha must proceed without his master.”
author unknown
4. “But what about the strange statement that he made at Elijah’s departure, “My father, my
father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”? What does this mean and what does it say to us
today? The chariot and horsemen represented one of the strongest military instruments of
ancient times. It stood for military power at its greatest. If you recall, God’s power and presence
are pictured by horses and chariots encircling Elisha and his servant in 2 Kings 6:15. There it
portrays God’s power and His ability to protect and deliver Elijah and His servant.
Here, however, Elisha was speaking of Elijah and declaring that the real strength and the
ultimate protection and defense of Israel lay in the ministry of this great prophet. Why? Because
he was a herald of the Word of the Lord. He was also the head of the schools of the prophets, the
place where other teachers of the Word were trained and prepared to minister the Word to
others.

66. ot only did this demonstrate Elisha’s perspective and faith in God’s Word, but it
demonstrates a vital principle, one echoed over and over again throughout the Old Testament:
On the one hand knowing, believing, and obeying the righteous principles of God’s Word
produces wisdom and justice and brings blessing and the prosperity of God to a nation. On the
other hand, ignorance, unbelief, and disobedience to God’s Word leads to foolishness,
unrighteousness, injustice, and moral collapse. This in turn eventually brings God’s discipline
and the fall of a nation unless there is repentance and a return to God.”
4B. The bottom line is that Elijah was the chariot of Israel. He was her greatest defense against
the forces of evil that would bring Israel to ultimate defeat. This is made clear by the following
texts. Hosea warned: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected
knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your
God, I also will forget your children” (Hos. 4:6). Isaiah likewise warned Judah: “Therefore My
people go into exile for their lack of knowledge; And their honorable men are famished, And their
multitude is parched with thirst” (Isaiah 5:13). Later when Elisha died these same words were
uttered. “(2 Ki 13:14 KJV)

67. ow Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash
the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father,
the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.” They indicate that Elisha, like Elijah, was the
key defense of the nation of Israel. Godly prophets were more vital for her defense than literal
chariots and horsemen.
5. Clarke, “The Chaldee translates these words thus: 'My master, my master! who, by thy
intercession, wast of more use to Israel than horses and chariots." This is probably the sense.
In the Book of Ecclesiasticus 48:1, and chariot are considered as an emblem of that burning zeal
which Elijah manifested in the whole of his ministry: "Then stood up Elijah the prophet as fire,
and his word burned as a lamp,"
13 He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and

68. went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
1. Pink, “When his master’s mantle fluttered to his feet, Elisha knew beyond doubt that heaven
had granted his request.

69. ot only had he seen Elijah at the moment of his departure, but the gift
of his prophetical garment was an additional token of receiving a double portion of his spirit.
And now came the test: what use would he make of his master’s mantle! Testing always follows
the bestowment of a divine gift. After Solomon had asked the Lord for "an understanding heart"
that he might judge His people wisely and well and "discern between good and bad," he was
quickly confronted by the two women each claiming the living child as hers (1 Kings 3:9, 16-27).

70. o sooner did the Spirit of God descend upon Christ than He led Him into the wilderness to be
tempted of the devil. Scarcely had the apostles been endowed with power from on High and
begun to speak with other tongues, than they were charged with being "full of new wine." So
here: Elijah’s mantle fell at his feet, but before Elisha smote the Jordan!”
2. Henry, “ He was possessed of Elijah's mantle, the badge of his office, which, we may suppose,
he put on and wore for his master's sake, 2 Kings 2:13. When Elijah went to heaven, though he
did not let fall his body as others do, he let fall his mantle instead of it; for he was unclothed, that
he might be clothed upon with immortality: he was going to a world where he needed not the
mantle to adorn him, nor to shelter him from the weather, nor to wrap his face in, as 1 Kings
19:13. He left his mantle as a legacy to Elisha, and, though in itself it was of small value, yet as it
was a token of the descent of the Spirit upon him, it was more than if he had bequeathed to him
thousands of gold and silver. Elisha took it up, not as a sacred relic to be worshipped, but as a
significant garment to be worn, and a recompence to him for his own garments which he had
rent. he loved this cloak ever since it was first cast over him, 1 Kings 19:19. He that then so
cheerfully obeyed the summons of it, and became Elijah's servant, is now dignified with it, and
becomes his successor. There are remains of great and good men, which, like this mantle, ought to
be gathered up and preserved by the survivors, their sayings, their writings, their examples, that,
as their works follow them in the reward of them, they may stay behind in the benefit of them.”
14 Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and
struck the water with it. "Where now is the LORD, the
God of Elijah?" he asked. When he struck the water, it
divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.
1. Elisha requested double what Elijah had, and here we see that it was granted, for he took the
same garment that Elijah used to part the water and he did the same miracle by the power that
God and given to him. He was now like his master teacher, for he could do miracles. He went on
to do more miracles than his teacher Elijah. Someone wrote, “When I read this story I am
reminded of Jesus’ promise in John 14:12, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believes on me,
the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto

71. my Father." Great men and women of God can be removed from the scene, and still the work of
God goes on, for God always has a channel by which his power is demonstrated in history. Even
Jesus could be taken from the earth and great works were to continue, and even greater. So it was
with Elijah being taken, for great works continued through Elisha. We need never fear that God
will be weakened by the loss of a great person.
1B. Gary DeLashmutt has this about the differences in the life of Elisha from that of Elijah.
“Elisha's ministry lasted about twice as long as Elijah's (14 and prematurely terminated to
almost 50 years). The Kings narrative also records twice as many miracles by Elisha as by Elijah
(14 to 7). Some scholars speculate that this difference was part of God's answer to grant Elisha a
“double portion” of Elijah's spirit (2 Kings 2:9). On the other hand, Elijah's ministry was clearly
more dominant in many ways. Elijah was truly a “larger than life” figure.
Most of his ministry was directly confronting powerful worldly figures (Ahab; Jezebel; Ahaziah).
Elisha, on the other hand, dealt mainly with common people whose names we will never know—a
widow, a laborer, a Shunnamite woman, etc. And when Elisha did deal with powerful figures, he
did so indirectly and carried out God's directives to Elijah.1
Similarly, most of Elijah's miracles were dramatic and judgmental on apostasy (DROUGHT;
FIRE FROM HEAVE

72. ). By contrast, most of Elisha's miracles were modest and deeds of
compassion. He cleansed the waters of Jericho (2:19-22). He increased a widow's supply of oil,
which saved her children from being sold into slavery (4:1-7). He cleansed a pot of food into
which a poisonous herb had been mistakenly added (4:38-41). He fed 100 hungry men by
multiplying a small amount of barley loaves and corn (4:42-44). He cured a Gentile of his leprosy
(5:14). He recovered a lost axe head that a man had borrowed, and thus saved him from financial
ruin (6:1-7).
Because of the above, Elijah was and still is famous in his own right. He towers above every Old
Testament figure except Moses. Elisha, however, remains clearly in Elijah's shadow. He spent the
first 10 years ministering to Elijah. Even after Elijah departed, he was known as ”Elisha . . . who
used to pour water on the hands of Elijah” (2 Kings 3:11).
Even the

73. ew Testament recognizes Elijah as the predominant figure. He is mentioned by name
29 times and alluded to a few other times. But Elisha is mentioned only once.”
1C. The above facts make it clear that God uses people in different ways, and our goal is not to
try to be someone else, but to be the best of who we are. Don't be concerned about how others are
used, but seek to be useful according to your own gifts and personality, and your natural
interests. People are different, and that is good, and be grateful for who you are rather than envy
who someone else is. God wants you to be you and not anyone else. You may do more or less than
another, but that is not an issue with God. He just wants you to be who you are as a committed
follower of Jesus.

74. one of us will be doing the miracles of Elijah or Elijah, but all of us can be
doing what God wants us to do, and that is enough to have a life pleasing to God.

75. 2. Pink, “He followed strictly the example his master had left him. In the context we are told,
"Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters" (2 Kings 2:8).

76. ow his
disciple did precisely the same thing. Is not the lesson for us clear? If the servant of Christ would
work miracles, his ministry must be patterned closely after his Master’s example.” “There was
the proof that though Elijah was not present, the God of Elijah was! There was the proof that he
had received a double portion of his master’s spirit. There was the proof that by using the same
means as his master had employed, God was pleased to honor his faith and grant the same result.
Three times in Scripture do we read of a miraculous crossing of the Jordan. See Joshua 3:17 for
the first example. Typifying, I believe, the victory of Christ over the grave, the deliverance of the
church from spiritual death, and the resurrection of our bodies in the day to come.”
3. “In faith, Elisha picked up the mantle, which represented his calling and gift, moved to the
Jordan, which represented the barriers he would face in ministry, and then cried out, “Where is
the Lord, the God of Elijah?” By this question he was not questioning God’s presence or actions,
but demonstrating three things: (a) his faith and dependence on the Lord, (b) that, regardless of
his gifts, Elisha knew he was totally insufficient in himself to be and do what lay ahead of him,
but also (c) that, as God had been with Elijah, so God would be with him. He knew that power
and sufficiency for ministry always belongs to God (2 Cor. 2:16; 3:5).” author unknown
4. Alan Carr, “When Elisha returned to the banks of Jordan, he knew that the mantle and the
ministry of Elijah had passed to him.

77. ow, he, in faith, calls on the same God Who had worked
through Elijah to work through him. He calls upon the God Who: Answers by fire! Stops and
starts the rain! Feeds His servants by the ravens! Multiplies the meal and the oil! Raises the
dead! Is powerful enough to shake the mountains with the wind and to rend them with the
earthquake! And speaks to His children in a still small voice! That is the God Elisha was calling
upon and he got the answer he was seeking. Just as they had for Elijah, the muddy, rushing
waters of Jordan parted for Elisha! He had obtained the double portion!”
5. Clarke, “The Vulgate gives a strange turn to this verse: "And he smote the waters, but they did
not divide; and he said, Where is the God of Elijah even now? And he struck the waters and they
were divided hither and thither." The act of striking the waters seems to be twice repeated in the
verse, though we get rid of the second striking by rendering the second clause, when he also had
smitten the waters: which has the same Hebrew words as the first, and which we translate, he
smote the waters. The Vulgate supposes he smote once in vain, perhaps confiding too much in his
own strength; and then, having invoked the God of Elijah, he succeeded. This distinction is not
followed by any of the other versions; nor is the clause, et non sunt divisae, "and they divided
not," expressed by the Hebrew text.”
6. Henry, “Elijah's last miracle shall be Elisha's first; thus he begins where Elijah left off and
there is no vacancy. In dividing the waters, (1.) He made use of Elijah's mantle, as Elijah himself
had done (2 Kings 2:8), to signify that he designed to keep to his master's methods and would not
introduce any thing new, as those affect to do that think themselves wiser than their predecessors.
(2.) He applied to Elijah's God: Where is the Lord God of Elijah? He does not ask, "Where is

78. Elijah?" as poring upon the loss of him, as if he could not be easy now that he was gone,--or as
doubting of his happy state, as if, like the sons of the prophets here, he knew not what had
become of him,--or as curiously enquiring concerning him, and the particular of that state he was
removed to (no, that is a hidden life, it does not yet appear what we shall be),--nor as expecting
help from him; no, Elijah is happy, but is neither omniscient nor omnipotent; but he asks, Where
is the Lord God of Elijah?

79. ow that Elijah was taken to heaven God had abundantly proved
himself the God of Elijah; if he had not prepared for him that city, and done better for him there
than ever he did for him in this world, he would have been ashamed to be called his God,
Hebrews 11:16; Matthew 27:31,32.

80. ow that Elijah was taken to heaven Elisha enquired, [1.]
After God. When our creature-comforts are removed, we have a God to go to, that lives for ever.
[2.] After The God of Elijah, the God that Elijah served, and honoured, and pleaded for, and
adhered to when all Israel had deserted him. This honor is done to those who cleave to God in
times of general apostasy, that God will be, in a peculiar manner, their God. "The God that
owned, and protected, and provided for Elijah, and many ways honoured him, especially now at
last, where is he? Lord, am not I promised Elijah's spirit? Make good that promise." The words
which next follow in the original, Aph-his--even he, which we join to the following clause, when
he also had smitten the waters, some make an answer to this question, Where is Elijah's God?
Etiam ille adhuc superest--"He is in being still, and nigh at hand. We have lost Elijah, but we
have not lost Elijah's God. He has not forsaken the earth; it is even he that is still with me."
15 The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were
watching, said, "The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha."
And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground
before him.
1. “The sons of the prophets saw this and became convinced of Elisha’s character and
qualifications to lead them and they bowed in respect to demonstrate they recognized him as
Elijah’s successor.” In Elisha they saw a second Elijah. He had just left this world, but he was
already back in the person of Elisha who carried on his work. He had a more gentle spirit, and
was not a likely to call down fire from heaven to consume his enemies.
1B. George Matheson stresses that Elisha was a product of Elijah, and that he was brought to
God by means of a man. He wrote, “Elisha, then, was helped to the grace of God by a human
love, and that human love abode with him long after its object had been hid from his outward
sight. It is the first instance of the kind we have met with in the Great Gallery ; but it has been
the forerunner of many similar experiences. There are hundreds whose belief in God sprang at
first from belief in Man. There are hundreds who have given their allegiance to the Divine by
fixing their eye upon some beauty in the human. There are hundreds who, like Elisha, have
served the God whom they have not seen simply because they have loved the brother whom they
have seen. This old Fainting is not superannuated, not dead. It is living, breathing, vitalizing. It is
mirrored in myriad lives ; it is reproduced in countless experiences ; it is a picture which is not
Jewish nor Greek nor Roman, but human. It expresses, not the bias of a nation, but an instinct of
the heart ; and therefore its colors are not dimmed by time — they are as fresh and vivid today as

81. they were in the streets of ancient Israel.”
2. Just what is this spirit of Elijah that rested on Elisha. Pink puts it like this: “Elijah was a man
of marked elevation of spirit. Possibly that expression is a new one to some of our readers, yet its
meaning is more or less obvious. That which we make reference to was symbolized by the fact
that the prophet is seen again and again "on the mount." The first mention of him (1 Kings 17:1),
tells us that he was "of the inhabitants of Gilead," which was a hilly section of the country. His
memorable victory over the false prophets of Baal was upon mount Carmel. After his slaughter of
them at the brook Kishon, and his brief word to the king, we are told that "Ahab went up to eat
and drink" whereas Elijah "went up to the top of Carmel" (18:42)—which at once revealed their
respective characters. When the Lord recovered him from his lapse we read that he "went in the
strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God" (1 Kings 19:8).
After he had delivered his message to Ahaziah, it is recorded, "behold, he sat on the top of a hill"
(2 Kings 1:9). Thus Elijah was markedly the man of the mount.

82. ow there is a mystical or
spiritual significance in that, apparent unto an anointed eye, which we have termed elevation of
spirit.
By elevation of spirit we mean heavenly-mindedness, the heart being raised above the poor things
of this world, the affections being set upon things above. This is ever one of the effects or fruits of
walking by faith, for faith has God for its object, and He dwells on high. The more our hearts are
occupied with Him whose throne is in heaven, the more are our spirits elevated above the earth.
The more our minds are engaged with the perfections of Him who is altogether lovely, the less
will the things of time and sense have power to attract us. The more we dwell in the secret place
of the Most High, the less will the baubles of men charm us. The same feature comes out
prominently in the life of Christ: He was pre eminently the Man of the Mount. His first sermon
was delivered from one. He spent whole nights there. He was transfigured upon "the holy
mount." He ascended from the mount of Olives. "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles" (Isa. 40:31)—their bodies on earth, their
hearts in heaven.”
Pink forgot to mention that Elijah also met with Jesus on that mount of transfiguration. These
two were men of the mountain, and they only two men in the Bible who were last seen visibly
ascending into heaven. All their lives they were looking up until they were taken up. One might
says that the spirit of Elijah was the spirit of the upward look.
3. Alison Bucklin, “ Elisha preached for 50 years, during the reigns of Jehoram, Jehu, Jehoahaz,
and Jehoash. Unlike Elijah, he didn’t stay out in the wilderness but circulated among the towns
and cities of Samaria. He had access to the highest nobles and officials in the land and was even
sought out by foreigners for advice and help. His ministry was characterized by healing,
miraculous provision, even raising a young man from the dead.”
4. Henry, “They were trained up in the schools; Elisha was taken from the plough; yet when they
perceived that God was with him, and that this was the man whom he delighted to honour, they
readily submitted to him as their head and father, as the people to Joshua when Moses was dead,
Joshua 1:17. Those that appear to have God's Spirit and presence with them ought to have our
esteem and best affections, notwithstanding the meanness of their extraction and education. This
ready submission of the sons of the prophets, no doubt, was a great encouragement to Elisha, and

83. helped to clear his call.”
16 "Look," they said, "we your servants have fifty able
men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the
Spirit of the LORD has picked him up and set him down
on some mountain or in some valley."
"

84. o," Elisha replied, "do not send them."
1. You have to understand the young prophets desire to go search, for Elijah had been known to
suddenly disappear and then show up again, and so why could this not be another time when that
is what is going on? They had a valid reason to think it possible, and so they insisted. Elisha knew
this disappearance was for good, but he could not persuade them. He said no, don't do it, but
then changed his mind when they hounded him to let them go. Sometimes people need to learn
the hard way when they will not listen to authorities who know best.
2. Bob Deffinbaugh, “I am inclined to believe that Elisha did not yet have the full respect that his
office deserved. I say this because the prophetic guild who were in Jericho were not yet willing to
accept Elisha’s word, unchallenged. They must have seen some evidence of the whirlwind that
took Elijah up into heaven because they asked Elisha for permission to send out a search party to
look for Elijah’s body. I don’t believe they expected to find Elijah alive. It seems their intention
was to recover the prophet’s body if at all possible. They may have reasoned that if he was caught
up by a whirlwind, his body must have been deposited somewhere, whether in the hills or in the
valley. Elisha knew better, and he told them not to go, but they kept pressing him till he
reluctantly granted them permission to conduct a search. Their mission was unsuccessful, as
Elisha knew it would be. The very fact that they sought to change Elisha’s mind suggests to me
that they did not yet sufficiently appreciate the power and position God had given him as Elijah’s
replacement. To truly honor a prophet, one must take his words seriously. When spoken under
inspiration, his words were the word of the Lord. It is my opinion that Elisha’s words were not
yet taken seriously enough,99 and that the three miracles described in our text were divinely
designed to accredit Elisha as Elijah’s replacement, who now possessed the office and authority
of Elijah.”
3. Pink, “Here again we cannot be certain what it was or how much they actually saw. Perhaps,
some are ready to exclaim, if they were definitely on the lookout, they must have seen the
remarkable translation of Elijah, for the "chariot of fire and the horses of fire" in midair would
surely have been visible to them.

85. ot necessarily. Probably that "fire" was very different from
any that we are acquainted with. Moreover we must bear in mind that on a later occasion "the
mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha," yet his own personal
attendant saw them not until the prophet asked, "LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may
see" (2 Kings 6:17)! We are therefore inclined to believe that as these young prophets watched,