The Last Day For Elijah

2 Kings 2:1-15 11/23/25 a.m.

Can I ask you a question? If you knew that TODAY would be the last day of your life ... WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Would you spend it with Family and Friends? Give some hugs and kisses. Tell people that you lov’em.

Would you do things that you had always wanted to do? Mark off a couple of things on your Bucket List? ILLUS: BITE

Would you spend time in Prayer? Try to get a little closer to God? I WOULD!!! I think I would ask God for strength.

I ask you this because there are people today spending their last day on Earth. Some know it, most don’t.

This morning I want to spend a few minutes and look at the way that Elijah spent his last day on this earth. And I want to look at his traveling companion. Elisha. So let’s go ahead and read 2 Kings 2:1-15.

“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.

4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.

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.

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;

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.

Well, it seems that most everyone knew that Elijah would be moving on up to GLORY LAND sometime that day. It wasn’t a secret.

Verse 3 tells us that Elisha and the Sons of the Prophets living at Bethel knew.

In Verse 5, the Sons of the Prophets living in Jericho knew.

And then Verse 9 tells us that Elijah himself knew.

THIS WAS GOING TO BE A MOMENTOUS DAY!!!

So what did Elijah do on his last day here on earth? Well, he spent the day with ELISHA. A FRIEND and a STUDENT. Someone who he had MENTORED. And on his last day on earth he WALKED and TALKED and he TAUGHT and he LIVED HIS LIFE for others to see. So, that’s what I would like to preach on this morning. Elijah’s LAST DAY on earth. But before we get into the message let’s go to the Lord in Prayer.