Introduction: Elijah was one of only two humans to ever leave this earth without dying. The only other was Enoch, who “. . . walked with God: and he was not; for God took him (Genesis 5:24, KJV)”. Full disclosure, I believe in the pre-tribulation rapture position, meaning, that according to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, the Lord Jesus will come near the earth, in the air, to take the saints to Heaven with Him. This includes all living and dead saints and none of us will ever die again, if ever!. At a later time He will return to this earth with His saints per Revelation 19 and set up the 1000 year (millennial) kingdom.
But let’s return to Elijah. He had stood, mostly alone, as a witness and prophet of the LORD God of Israel during some very difficult times. Now, however, it was time for him to finish up his work down here and enter the presence of the LORD.
1 From Gilgal to Bethel
Text: 2 Kings 2:1-3, KJV: 1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. 3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
This last or final journey of Elijah begins at Gilgal. Something to remember is that there were two places named “Gilgal” during Israel’s history; one was near the Jordan River and the other was further inland, between Shiloh and Ophrah according to https://bibleatlas.org/full/gilgal.htm. We don’t know for sure which “Gilgal’ is in reference here or if this had been the “hill” where the three groups of soldiers had come to arrest him (see 2 Kings 1). What is known is that Elijah was residing at Gilgal until the LORD told him it was time to move on.
Much, by the way, could be said about Gilgal. This was the place where Israel had stayed when they had first crossed the Jordan back in the days of Joshua, for example (Joshua 4-5). Nave’s Topical Bible has other references about Gilgal at (https://bibleportal.com/concordance/nave-s-topical-bible/gilgal) and I encourage further study about Gilgal!
Now, though, Elijah has received word that he’s going Home. His work is done. He’s going to be one of the only two humans, so far, to never die, going to Heaven while he’s still living. And even better, he’s going to go to Heaven by means of a whirlwind or tornado!
Elijah, however, won’t be going alone, at least for part of this last journey. Elisha and Elijah went together from Gilgal towards Elijah’s next stop, which was Bethel. Although we don’t have the record of the LORD directing Elijah to go there, he did inform Elisha, “Please stay here, as the LORD is sending me to Bethel.” Elisha, though, replied, “I’m not leaving you.”
So they arrived at Bethel.
But this wasn’t the last stop on Elijah’s final journey/
2 From Bethel to Jericho
Text, 2 Kings 2:4, KJV: 4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
As with Gilgal, much of Israel’s history involved Bethel. Abram had stopped there and built an altar to the True God after he arrived in Canaan. He also made a giant mistake and went to Egypt, nearly losing his wife, Sarai, in the process, and wound up getting deported from Egypt! After that experience (!), he and his household returned to Bethel and stayed there for a while before he eventually settled near Hebron (compare Genesis 12 and 13).
There is no mention of Isaac having anything to do with Bethel, but Jacob stopped there twice. The first time, Jacob was running for dear life after scamming his twin brother, Esau (see Genesis 27-28) before Jacob arrived at uncle Laban’s house. Then, maybe 20 years later, he returned to Bethel after amassing a large amount of livestock and other things. The dark cloud over Jacob’s head had to be the sexual assault against his (only?) daughter, Dinah, and the massacre of the Shechemite men by sons Levi and Simeon (Genesis 34). Even today, all of us could use a “back to Bethel” experience!
Sadly even though much good took place at Bethel, i.e., where saints like Abraham and Jacob worshipped the LORD, evil came in and just about canceled out all the good of days gone by. When Israel split into two kingdoms after the death of Solomon, Jeroboam, king of the Northern Tribes, chose Bethel as the place for an altar and an idol. This was no ordinary idol, by the way, but a “golden calf”, and my opinion is that it was patterned after Apis, the Egyptian bull-god of strength (and who knows what else). How many Israelites remembered the golden calf that Aaron, of all people, supervised the making of a golden calf—to be worshiped— while Moses was on Mount Sinai, conversing with the LORD and receiving the very Law they had sworn to follow! Exodus 32 has that sad, sad story but it seems some never completely gave up on their worship of “gods” they made with their own hands.
Yet even in the midst of this warped theology—what, really, did the worship of Baal or Jeroboam’s calves have in common with the worship of The LORD?—there was a “school of the prophets” even in Bethel! Here there were any number of men who stayed true to the LORD, the God of their fathers, and were trying to keep that worship going even in the darkest of days. Elijah stopped here in Bethel, although we have no explanation except the LORD had sent him there. Pure speculation but maybe he encouraged these sons of the prophets and maybe he meditated over Bethel’s history.
Elijah once again asked Elisha to remain at Bethel because the LORD was going to send him to Jericho. But Elisha said, no, I’m going with you regardless.
Bethel wasn’t the final stop on this final journey for Elijah. His next destination was Jericho, and then, the Jordan River.
3 From Jericho to the other side of the Jordan
Text, 2 Kings 2:5-8, KJV: 5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. 6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. 8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
Elijah and Elisha have now covered a lot of territory. Gilgal—whichever one was in view—was north of Bethel, and both were north of Jericho. To reach Jericho, these men would have had to maybe walk 20-30 miles, going downhill as they approached the Jordan River (use the link to the map for Gilgal provided above). But think of what had happened to Israel since the days of Joshua, and it all started at Jericho!
Jericho was the site of Israel’s first conquest in their possession of the land God had promised them. Joshua 2-6 has the story how Israel followed the LORD’s commands and Jericho fell just as the LORD had promised. Rahab, a harlot from Jericho, became a believer in the God of Israel, then married Salmon, and their son Boaz was a leader in the tribe of Judah. Boaz later married Ruth of Moab and their great-grandson was King David! Both Rahab and Ruth had the amazing privilege of being mothers of the Messiah!
There was something else about Jericho, though, because the city or area around Jericho was cursed. Joshua had placed a curse on Jericho, that if anyone did rebuild the city, that person would lose his firstborn son when the foundations were laid and would lose his youngest son when the gates were set up (Joshua 6:26-27). That curse fell on Hiel the Bethelite when he rebuilt Jericho (1 Kings 16:34) some years later.
Elijah and Elisha walked along the same paths, I suppose, that Israel’s warriors had traveled many times before. In some cases, a united Israel had fought enemies such as the Philistines, Canaanites, Miidianites and more (see the books of Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 Kings). Sadly, there had been times a divided Israel—north and south—had fought against each other and many Israelites of all tribes died needlessly due to the misdeeds of kings and the worship of idols.
The sons of the prophets met Elisha, probably soon after he and Elijah arrived, and told him the same thing he had heard at Bethel. Elisha responded the same way and when Elijah told him, “The LORD has sent me to the Jordan”, Elisha replied, “I’m going with you.”
It’s anybody’s guess what, if anything, Jericho might have had to offer but none of that mattered to either Elijah or Elisha. Once Elijah got the LORD’s message to head for the Jordan, he and Elisha went there probably as soon and as fast as they could.
So they arrived at the Jordan. Just when these men arrived there is not specified. If this had happened in the spring, or the time of barley harvest (Joshua 3:15 and note to follow), the Jordan would be at flood stage. The Pulpit Commentary has a very thorough article, available online at https://biblehub.com/joshua/3-15.htm#commentary , which describes how a traveler saw the Jordan overflowing its banks around March 22 just as described in Joshua. At other times, people could seemingly use the passages or “fords (https://biblehub.com/hebrew/4569.htm)” to cross the Jordan (Judges 3:28, e.g.). At any rate, the water was wide enough and deep enough so that Elijah used his mantle to “smite” the waters. He and Elisha crossed the Jordan or dry ground—just as Israel had done, crossing this very river, on dry ground (compare with Joshua 3:17)!
4 From the other side of Jordan to Heaven!
Text, 2 Kings 2:9-13, KJV: 9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. 10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. 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;
The two prophets walked across the Jordan River’s bed—now dry—and Elijah asked Elisha one final question: “What can I do for you before I’m taken away from you?” One can only imagine what thoughts raced through Elisha’s mind when he heard this! I doubt Elisha would have asked for money (neither he nor Elijah seemed to have much, if any) or for prestige (they didn’t seem to have too much of that, either!). Elisha’s reply, though, may not have been something Elijah was expecting to hear.
Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. Certainly that doesn’t mean he wanted Elijah’s personal spirit, which would have been impossible, but that’s probably not what Elisha had in mind. Some of the commentaries like Dr. Barnes’ notes (available online via Biblehub.com at https://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/2_kings/2.htm ; Benson, also at https://biblehub.com/commentaries/benson/2_kings/2.htm; and Ellicott’s commentary at (https://biblehub.com/commentaries/ellicott/2_kings/2.htm) all allude to the double portion reserved for the firstborn son (per Deut. 21:7). The underlying image, as I understand it, is that of the spiritual firstborn son of the prophet himself.
Elijah’s reply to Elisha’s request is an admission that Elijah himself had very little to contribute;. He and Elisha knew that Elijah had no power in and of himself to do anything, only through the power of the LORD. Elijah admitted, “You’ve asked a hard thing” (remember, he didn’t have what Elisha was seeking to give personally) but added, “If you see me when I’m taken, you’ll get it but if you don’t, you won’t (paraphrased)”. Elijah was realistic enough to know there were some things he just could not do; only the LORD could do this.
“They walked and talked”. It’s maybe best the Holy Spirit did not see fit to include these conversations as part of the text. Elijah had much to say and Elisha had much to learn—after all, there is no record that Elisha had ever been one of the “sons of the prophets” himself. But at an unknown location, these two men were separated one from another! They saw a chariot of fire, and horses of fire (most likely symbolic) and then Elijah went to Heaven! There is some difference of opinion about the word “whirlwind” but it’s enough to know that, first, Elijah obeyed the LORD; second, the LORD sent a special conveyance to take Elijah home to Heaven, and third, there was an eyewitness to all of this—Elisha!
Elisha stood and watched, and clearly saw Elijah departing because he exclaimed, “My father, my father, Israel’s chariots and horsemen!” This may be a poetic description of how Elijah’s influence was stronger than any kind of pure military strength. Besides, Elisha had just seen one of Heaven’s chariots and some of Heaven’s fiery horses, and the comparison was easy to make.
After Elijah disappeared from view, Elisha tore his own clothes in half. This was a sign of mourning, perhaps a display of great distress. Several other men had done this beforehand, and Elisha was one of those who did so here. But that wasn’t all—Elisha saw the mantle of Elijah on the ground (“mantle” could mean garment or robe per https://biblehub.com/hebrew/155.htm). Elisha picked it up then went back to the bank of the Jordan River.
What was going to happen next?
5 The beginning of Elisha’s prophetic ministry
Text, 2 Kings 2:14-15, KJV: 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. 15 And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
Elisha had picked up the mantle of Elijah and apparently walked to the Jordan’s bank. Clearly the waters had returned to the same state as they were when he and Elijah had crossed the Jordan just a relatively short time before. Now in the first act as a prophet, Elisha took Elijah’s mantle and smote or struck the Jordan just as Elijah had done.
Elisha exclaimed, “Where is the LORD God of Elijah?” This is maybe a rhetorical question, not for us to answer. Elisha was on his own, and on the other side of the Jordan, with prospects of crossing over not that great. After all, Elijah had had to smite the waters so they could cross.
It seems the LORD heard Elisha’s prayer but didn’t speak a word. This time the LORD answered by actions: the waters parted “hither and thither”, just as they had done for the two men before.
Now it also seems that Elisha was not totally alone. Verse 7 has the record that 50 men of the sons of the prophets stood “afar off”. Some, at least, of these sons of the prophets came to meet him at Jericho and exclaimed, “The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha”. One cannot ask for greater confirmation than this, I suppose!
And that wasn’t all. These men bowed themselves to the ground, certainly not to worship, but to acknowledge that Elisha was the new spiritual leader. Elisha would have none of people worshiping him, but accepted the practice of the time, that of a student honoring his teacher (per Benson, https://biblehub.com/commentaries/benson/2_kings/2.htm and also per an article in the Cambridge Bible commentary https://biblehub.com/commentaries/cambridge/2_kings/2.htm)
How to tie this all together? Elijah had performed a number of miracles and had been God’s spokesman to a nation falling farther and farther away from Him. Elijah had his shortcomings, certainly, but the LORD never gave up on him. He won’t give up on us, either, when we admit our sins and confess them to Him.
Like all of us, Elijah’s time on this earth was limited. The LORD sent a special kind of vehicle so that Elijah could go to Heaven without dying. Whether we live to leave this world when our Lord returns for us, of whether we live to the end of our days and die, like all the rest of the world save Enoch, we can all be faithful even to death as many of the saints endured. Like Elijah, there is something our Lord wants us to do and I pray we find it—and do it!
Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV)
