Was Elijah one of only two prophets seemingly taken directly to heaven or was he transported in the air to a location on earth? Let’s look at 2 Kings 2.
Did it seem like all the prophets knew that God was going to take Elijah?
Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.” Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.” (2 Kings 2:1-5 ESV)
How was Elijah taken up? What was Elisha’s special request?
Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord is sending me to the Jordan.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. Fifty men from the sons of the prophets came and stood facing them from a distance while the two of them stood by the Jordan. Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the waters, which parted to the right and left. Then the two of them crossed over on dry ground. After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken from you.” So Elisha answered, “Please, let me inherit two shares of your spirit.” Elijah replied, “You have asked for something difficult. If you see me being taken from you, you will have it. If not, you won’t.” As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire with horses of fire suddenly appeared and separated the two of them. Then Elijah went up into heaven in the whirlwind. As Elisha watched, he kept crying out, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” Then he never saw Elijah again. He took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. (2 Kings 2:6-12 HCSB)
Was Elijah taken up to the third heaven where God’s throne is or just into the sky and transported somewhere else on earth? Could a letter later written by Elijah possibly indicate a transport to a place of retirement somewhere here on earth?
After this, a letter arrived from Elijah the prophet. It said: “This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: ‘You haven’t lived like your father Jehoshaphat and like King Asa of Judah. Instead, you have lived like the kings of Israel by causing Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit cultic sexual immorality—just like Ahab’s dynasty did! And you’ve killed your brothers who were better than you—your own father’s dynasty! Look what’s going to happen! The Lord is going to strike your people, your children, your wives, and everything you own with a massive tragedy. And as for you, you will suffer from a serious disease of your bowels. Eventually, day-by-day you will excrete your own bowels because of this disease.” (2 Chronicles 21:12-15 ISV)
What did Elisha do after picking up Elijah’s ornamental cloak?
He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. (2 Kings 2:13-14 KJV)
What did the sons of the prophets say about Elisha at that time?
Then the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho opposite him saw him and said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him. Then they said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty excellent men, please let them go and search for your master, lest the Spirit of Yahweh has taken him up and cast him on some mountain or into some valley.” And he said, “You shall not send.” But when they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send.” They sent therefore fifty men; and they searched three days but did not find him. So they returned to him while he was staying at Jericho; and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?” (2 Kings 2:15-18 LSB)
What long time curse did the people of Jericho ask Elisha to heal?
Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold now, the site of the city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.” And he said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have purified these waters; there shall not come from there death or unfruitfulness any longer.’” So the waters have been purified to this day, in accordance with the word of Elisha which he spoke. (2 Kings 2:19-22 NASB)
What happened to a large gang of juvenile delinquents?
From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria. (2 Kings 2:23-25 NIV)
In what sense did Jesus mean that no one has ascended to heaven? Was it as Deuteronomy 30:12 explains, ascending to find words already available on earth, or in the simple sense, that nobody but Jesus has ever ascended to heaven? Are we satisfied with leaving some things as mystery?
No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. (John 3:13 NKJV)
Was Elijah one of only two prophets seemingly taken directly to heaven or was he transported in the air to a location on earth? You decide!
