part0049

As was shared in the previous two chapters of this text, the Prophet Elijah had prayed and the Lord had stopped the rain in Israel for three years and six months. After that he had challenged the prophets of Baal and Asherah to offer their burnt offerings to their gods without the aid of their own fire. According to the rules of their challenge, the one true God should have been able to start the fire for the offering without human assistance. After that confrontation in which the Lord had consumed Elijah's offering with fire from heaven, he had then told the children of Israel to kill all the false prophets of Baal. So they did. But when Queen Jezebel had learned about what had happened to HER prophets, she had declared that she would kill Elijah. Upon hearing that, the prophet of God had run for his life. I Kings 19:1-3 says, "And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there."

It is worth noting that a great victory for the Lord is often followed by a great letdown. The devil does not lie still forever. So even though the Lord had not changed during that time, Elijah had become afraid of the queen despite the fact that he had been so confident just a few hours earlier. His sudden change in attitude, however, had been because those had been dangerous days to be living in Israel even for a prophet of God. In fact, Jezebel had already killed many of the Lord's prophets. So Elijah's fears had been somewhat warranted. But one of the positive results of his having run from the queen is that the Lord had told him to anoint a man named Elisha to be his successor. So he did. I Kings 19:19 says, "So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him." After that Elisha had followed Elijah until his last day in this life. But his last day in this life had been like none other in the history of humanity.

The day had begun by Elijah and Elisha having travelled from Gilgal. For some unknown reason, though, Elijah had several times tried to separate himself from his young charge. But Elisha had not been so easily deterred. II Kings 2:2-3 says, "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 . 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." An exchange similar to that one in Bethel had also happened in Jericho and at the Jordan River. So three times Elijah had tried to get away from Elisha. But Elisha had known that the end for Elijah was near. So he had refused to be separated from him. Finally, Elijah had asked Elisha what legacy he could leave the young prophet. Elisha had told him that he had wanted to have a double portion of his spirit. II Kings 2:9 says, "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." So Elijah had responded that his desire would be granted if he saw him taken away.

II Kings 2:11, which was quoted above, indicates that a whirlwind of fire had come down from heaven, had scooped up Elijah, and had carried him away. Since Elisha had been there and had seen it, he had received the double portion of Elijah's spirit that he had wanted. Only two men discussed in the Bible have ever left this existence without having to die in the sense that all other human beings have had to die. Thus, both men had enjoyed unique relationships with the Lord in that neither one had had to ever taste death. Enoch had been discussed in chapter four of this text. He had only been in this existence for a short number of years when compared to his ancestors. Then the Lord had simply taken him away. He had walked with the Lord while on earth. But then he was gone so that he had not had to die in the same sense that others die. Elijah had also enjoyed that same kind of special relationship with the Lord, too, because he had been taken away without having had to experience death. Therefore, because of their common end-of-life experiences, many but not all theologians and Bible scholars believe that those two men will be the witnesses that are mentioned in the book of Revelation. Revelation 11:3 says, "And I will give power unto my two witnesses , and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth."

Life Application : The way that Elijah had left this existence is not nearly as important as the way that he had lived. He had been very human at times. But he had also been very faithful to the Lord during those times that it had most mattered. One would do quite well to follow his example.