Elisha And The Two Bears Series

Elisha and the Two Bears 2 Kings 2:23-25

A husband and wife who work for the circus go to an adoption agency. Social workers there raise doubts about their suitability. The couple produces photos of their 50-foot motor home, which is clean and well maintained and equipped with a beautiful nursery.

The social workers raise concerns about the education a child would receive while in the couple's care. "We've arranged for a full-time tutor who will teach the child all the usual subjects along with French, Mandarin, and computer skills."

Then the social workers express concern about a child being raised in a circus environment. "Our nanny is a certified expert in pediatric care, welfare, and diet."

The social workers are finally satisfied. They ask, "What age child are you hoping to adopt?" "It doesn't really matter, as long the kid fits in the cannon."

“23 Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, young lads came out from the city and mocked him and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!” 24 When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their number. 25 And he went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.”

In the previous verses we see where Elisha had just experienced what almost seemed like the very first rapture where Elijah was caught up to heaven without dying and this is the hope of all believers who are living in the days prior to the tribulation.

We all live with the expectation of Jesus coming with which believers in all ages have lived but someday Jesus will come back and as 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 says, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

In verse 11 we see this how Elijah was raptured and I want you to notice that he wasn’t taken up by the fiery horses and chariot but they simply came between him and Elisha.

Verse 11 “And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; 14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, where is the Lord God of Elijah? And when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.”

I like how it says, all this happened while they were walking along and talking. They had just visited all the places where Elijah had witnessed the great movements of God and they were probably talking about the things God had taught and Elijah would be encouraging Elisha to live in light of these truths; when all of a sudden, they were separated by horses and chariots of fire. And then, Elijah became only the second man to ever enter heaven without seeing death. Do you know who the first one was? Enoch.

So, Elisha witnessed Elijah’s rapture or catching up and he said, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.” His cry focuses on the loss of Elijah, both personally and also to Israel because as far as Elisha was concerned; Elijah had been "a power that was mightier than all the armies of Israel" and his loss was absolutely devastating.

I’m sure he had to sit down for a while and contemplate what he just witnessed but then it says in verses 13 and 14, “He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; 14 and he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, where is the Lord God of Elijah? And when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.” In other words, he repeated the exact same miracle that Elijah had performed before God took him home and this was God’s way of telling him that the work and role of Elijah had been passed on to him.