WHEN THE LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the LORD has sent me to Bethel.”
But Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
3The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “but do not speak of it.”
4Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the LORD has sent me to Jericho.”
And he replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.
5The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” he replied, “but do not speak of it.”
6Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.”
And he replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on.
7Fifty men of the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. 8Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”
“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
10“You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise not.”
11As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart.
13He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.
15The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. 16“Look,” they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”
“No,” Elisha replied, “do not send them.”
17But they persisted until he was too ashamed to refuse. So he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him. 18When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”
19The men of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.”
20“Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.
21Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the LORD says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’” 22And the water has remained wholesome to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.
23From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. “Go on up, you baldhead!” they said. “Go on up, you baldhead!” 24He 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 youths. 25And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.
THE CONFRONTATION OF the apostasy of Ahaziah is the last activity of Elijah reported in the book of Kings.1 With Elijah’s ascension to heaven, prophetic responsibility to hold Israel accountable for covenant fidelity is transferred to Elisha. This transition is the focal point of the final activities of Elijah, as he announces the death of Ahaziah and is then translated from the land by the heavenly cavalry.
Two contingents of prophets receive and relay the same message: Elijah is to be removed as the leader “today” (2:3, 5). The expression “today” calls attention to the central epitome of the narrative, in this case marking the transition to the next phase of prophetic activity.2 Elisha’s acknowledgment of these messages is indicative of their being preparatory to the climactic declaration of the story: “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha” (2:15). This confirms what happens at the translation of Elijah (vv. 10–11). Elisha will become the rightful heir to the office of Elijah (i.e., the double portion of his spirit) on condition that he observes Elijah being taken from his presence. The removal of Elijah is further confirmed by the search of the band of fifty prophets who are unable to locate him (vv. 16–18). Elijah’s succession is established by prophetic revelation and by prophetic witness to his disappearance.
Departure of Elijah (2:1–18)
THE TOPIC OF the chapter is introduced by saying that Elijah is taken up to heaven in a storm. The “whirlwind” (seʿārâ) was the same phenomenon by which God made himself known to Job (Job 38:1; 40:6). The force and power of the wind are symbolic of the majestic and holy presence of the divine. The storm is the means by which the immanence of God can be perceived, somewhat like the storm on Mount Sinai (Ex. 20:18–19).
Gilgal is most often identified with the site of Israel’s first encampment in the land. Just a few kilometers east of Jericho, the Israelites erected a memorial of twelve stones to commemorate their crossing of the Jordan. During the time of Samuel Gilgal became an important religious center and may have been the site of an ancient temple.3 Gilgal also seems to have been a location in the southern hill country of Samaria near Bethel.4 Elisha had been discipled by Elijah and anointed to be his successor (1 Kings 19:19–21) and became the leader of a prophetic guild. Elisha (“my God saves”) was son of Shaphat, originally from Abel Meholah on the east side of Jordan toward Jabesh Gilead (19:16). The prophets of his band made a living through normal occupations, just as Elisha did until anointed as a disciple of Elijah.
The whole narrative is designed to build suspense. Elijah suddenly receives the revelation that he is to go as far as Bethel and urges Elisha to stay behind. When they arrive at Bethel, they are met with news of a prophetic revelation. Elijah then receives a message that he is to go to Jericho. A second band of prophets from Jericho comes with news of the same revelation. Mixed emotions of impatience, sorrow, and anger may be intended in the words (lit.), “I know. Be quiet!”5 (2:3, 5). Yahweh then calls Elijah to the Jordan; Elisha is determined to follow his master, refusing to compromise his vow, though repeatedly challenged.
Elisha asks for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, an expression used elsewhere to refer to the right of inheritance of the firstborn as double that of the others (Deut. 21:17). Elisha is not requesting twice the prophetic spirit of Elijah, but rather the right to the office of Elijah, double the portion of other heirs of the prophetic office. “My father” is repeated (2 Kings 2:12), an expression of the honor attributed to the leader.6 The terms “father” and “son” do not distinguish exact relationships, but are the representatives of the older and younger generation, making the term “father” suitable as an expression of honor. There is no evidence to designate this as a term for the leader of a prophetic group or an interpreter of prophetic utterances.
“The chariots and horseman of Israel” (2:12) must refer to the vision of Elijah departing into glory. The expression is associated with Elisha and is repeated by King Joash when Elisha is about to die (13:14). Elijah introduced the cloak as a symbol of succession (2:13) when he first anointed Elisha as his successor (1 Kings 19:19). In the return crossing of the Jordan Elisha calls for the same demonstration of divine provision as was given Elijah (2 Kings 2:14).7 The same miraculous crossing assures Elisha that he is indeed the true successor to Elijah.
The prophetic band in Jericho confirms that Elisha will continue the work of Elijah (2:15–18). When they see Elisha coming from the direction of the river, they recognize he has received the spirit of Elijah and render him respect accordingly. Elisha resists their request to search for Elijah, but they need to confirm that Elijah has departed and not simply been moved by divine power into another location, as happened on other occasions (v. 16; cf. 1 Kings 18:12). The search confirms the prophetic message and the anointing of Elisha; it also assures them that the body of Elijah has not been left unburied in disgrace. The attitude of Elisha in saying they should not have gone on the search is ambiguous (2 Kings 2:18). It would seem that the prophets regard their failure to find the body of Elijah as a success. Their search is not to doubt the prophetic word but to confirm it beyond dispute.
Confirmation of Elisha (2:19–25)
THE FIRST EVENT to confirm that Elisha has succeeded Elijah as the prophet like Moses is the curing of the waters at Jericho. The context suggests that this was the city, and the story is still preserved in the tradition of the abundant spring called ʿAin as-Sultan at the base of the mound of ancient Jericho.8 The effect of the sterility caused by the water is not clear; it could be that it caused the land to be unproductive (NIV), or it caused the people to be childless. The latter is the interpretation of the old Greek translation (ateknounta).9 Gray suggests that the waters at Jericho may have been affected by radioactivity, which can cause sterility.10 The frequent earthquakes of the area may have caused the water to come in contact with radioactive geological strata. Theologically the problem might have been regarded as a result of the curse of Joshua (cf. Josh. 6:26).
Elisha asks for a “new bowl” (2 Kings 2:20); the jar is distinguished by being unused and by its distinct nature. The word for “bowl” (ṣelōḥît) is found only here in the Old Testament; in later Hebrew it is used for a glossy type of bottle. There is no explanation for the use of salt in curing the water.11 The point of the salt in the new jar is to distinguish this prophetic action from all other common techniques that might be used in “healing” the water. The waters remain pure until the time the accounts of Elisha are recorded (2:22).12 The power of Elisha is reminiscent of that of Moses in “healing” the waters at Marah (cf. Ex. 15:22–26).
The first event confirming the anointing of Elisha demonstrates the power of prophetic blessing to those who affirm the prophet. The second event demonstrates the power of a curse that rests on all who deny him. The taunting of the young men should not be viewed as immature juvenile activity (2:23). If a prophet were known because he was a hairy man (1:8), taunting Elisha as a bald man is to deny that he is a prophet, or at least to deny that he is a prophet like Elijah.13 The mauling of the youthful mob is not vindictive anger on behalf of Elisha but divine judgment for culpable denial of the divine purpose. The bears are no less divinely appointed than the whale that swallowed Jonah. With the return to Mount Carmel Elisha completes the transition to being successor to Elijah (2:25).
Bridging Contexts
PROPHECY IN ANCIENT Israel and prophetic succession. The transition of prophetic authority from Elijah to Elisha is demonstrated through geographical movements. Ahaziah attempted to summon Elijah while he was residing on the mountain summit (2 Kings 1:9), evidently a reference to Carmel, where Elijah had confronted the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:20). Elisha joins Elijah as he journeys to Bethel and on to the Jordan. After crossing the Jordan, Elijah is taken from earthly duties in the same location as Moses before him. The commissioning of Elisha is demonstrated at Jericho in the removal of toxicity from a water source that made the prophetic location virtually uninhabitable. Judgment consumes those who ridicule the prophetic office as Elisha makes his way to Bethel. Elisha finally returns to Carmel to resume the prophetic activity that had been the responsibility of Elijah (2:25).
The stories that initiate the prophetic role of Elisha (2:19–25) have a parallel with the final challenge of Ahaziah against Elijah (1:9–14).14 The status of the prophet is challenged in both episodes. Elijah is ordered to come down from Carmel to face Ahaziah (1:9) and Elisha is taunted by the disbelieving juveniles to go up to Carmel (2:23). Elijah is described as “hairy” (1:8) while Elisha is ridiculed for being bald (2:23). The judgment in each case is described in parallel phrases. Fire came down from heaven and consumed the king’s soldiers (1:10), while two female bears come out from the forest and maul the insolent taunters (2:24). Together, the two chapters constitute a succession of the prophetic office.
These events are intended to show that Elisha is the successor to Elijah just as Joshua was the successor to Moses. Elisha was previously anointed to succeed his master (1 Kings 19:19–21), just as Joshua had been divinely ordained through the office of the priest to succeed Moses (Num. 27:18–23). The miraculous crossing of the Jordan (2 Kings 2:8, 14; cf. Josh. 3:11–13); the presence at Gilgal (cf. 2 Kings 2:1; Josh. 4:19), Bethel (2 Kings 2:2, 23; cf. Josh. 7:2), and Jericho (2 Kings 2:4, 15; cf. Josh. 2:1); and the ascension of Elijah at the same location where Moses died (2 Kings 2:9; cf. Deut. 34:1) all show that Elijah and Elisha are the equivalent of Moses and Joshua in their own time. Josephus exploited this connection, linking the ignorance of the burial place of Moses (Deut. 34:6) with the mysterious end of Elijah (2 Kings 2:11).15 The motif of Elijah as a second Moses found in his flight to Sinai (1 Kings 19:11–13) is further developed in his departure.
The anointing of a new leader was a means of demonstrating divinely appointed authority. However the anointing of Elisha as a successor to Elijah is unusual because prophecy was not an office of official leadership. Prophets often had a vital role to play in the transition of leadership, but they usually received their own authority independently by a direct divine call. Elijah and Elisha are each given a role in anointing Jehu as successor to the house of Omri (1 Kings 19:15–16; 2 Kings 9:1–3), in order to promote purity of worship by a change in political succession. Both Elijah and Elisha are also given a role in anointing Hazael as successor to Ben-Hadad in Syria (1 Kings 19:15; 2 Kings 8:7–15), as an act of judgment against the sons of Omri for their promotion of Baal cult worship. Elijah anointed Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha as a means of accomplishing his mission after his departure. Elijah’s concern was not the succession of office. Elisha is commissioned to continue the unfinished task of Elijah with the same power and authority.
It is not unusual for prophets to be called from their normal vocation to confront apostasy. Amos was a herdsman from Tekoa (Amos 1:1) called to pronounce judgment against Jeroboam II and the worship at Bethel. His warnings of the death of Israel (e.g., Amos 3:12) were met with hostility and a demand that he return home. The priest at Bethel requested an edict from the king to have him evicted (7:10–11). Amos was welcome to carry on his preaching activity in his own country (7:12–13), but there was no room for him in Israel. Amos responded by reminding Amaziah the priest that he was merely a herdsman, “neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son” (7:14). His authority had nothing to do with an official anointing. He was not there by some special commission from the authorities in Jerusalem. Amaziah could use political power to remove him from Bethel, but he could do nothing to change the word of judgment that Amos had delivered (7:15–16). The lion had roared (3:8); Amos could do nothing other than prophesy (3:3–6). The profession of herdsman did not diminish his calling or authority as a prophet, nor did he need an official commission for it to be effective.
Unique to Elisha is his association with a group called “the company [lit., sons] of the prophets.” They are first mentioned in the story of Naboth’s vineyard when one of them confronts King Ahab (1 Kings 20:35). They are introduced as a well-known group without need of explanation. They are mentioned eleven times; all the other references occur in connection with the figure of Elisha (2 Kings 2:3, 5, 7, 15; 4:1, 38; 5:22; 6:1; 9:1).
There are other groupings of prophets. Saul encountered a “procession of prophets” coming down from the high place, presumably after worship (1 Sam. 10:5, 10). Their activity involved a number of musical instruments, and whenever a special divine power came on them, their actions manifested something distinctly identifiable as “prophesying.” King Ahab retained his own prophets to guide his political decisions (1 Kings 22:6). These official prophets were reviled by other prophets as only giving words that would bring pay, even if they led the people into self-destruction (Mic. 3:5–8). References to groups of prophets has led to the assertion that in the early monarchic period there were professionally trained prophets organized into bands with a leader referred to as “father.”16 It was the responsibility of the leader to train the members of the band in their specific practice of prophetic activity and to instruct them in the true worship of Yahweh. The “sons of the prophets” are sometimes thought to be members of a guild of professionally trained prophets.
Linguistic and literary evidence is insufficient to support the concept of professionally trained prophets.17 Josephus does refer to Elisha as the “disciple” (mathētēs) of Elijah (Ant. 9.28, 33), as well as the prophet sent to anoint Jehu (2 Kings 9:1; Ant. 9.106), but he does not use “disciple” as a technical term. He also uses the word disciple for the Hebrew term “elder” (zqn) when referring to Elisha at home with the leaders of Israel (2 Kings 6:32; Ant. 9.68). The limitation of the term “sons of the prophets” to the activity of Elijah (once) and Elisha indicates that this is a specific designation for followers of these prominent prophets. The mention of other bands of prophets in the early monarchic period shows that this phenomenon is not unique. There is nothing to indicate that Elisha was one of the “sons of the prophets” before his anointing or that the term “father” referred to someone who trained disciples in prophetic activity.
Elijah and Elisha had a particular calling and mission during a critical period of Israel’s history, when power of the Baal cult was extended through the alliances of Israel and Judah and the intermarriage of the royal families. The supporters of these two prophets in their struggle against the Baal cult were designated as “sons of the prophets.” Prophecy manifested itself in a variety of forms in ancient Israel; its function was always to call for faithfulness to the covenant. Inspired prophecy was the means God used to confront false teaching at the highest levels of power. Followers of Elijah who had not bowed before Baal were both recipients of a revelation that the mantel would be transferred to another prophet and witnesses to the anointing of Elisha as the prophet who would bring an end to the power of the house of Omri.
Contemporary Significance
SUCCESSION OF THE prophetic office. The authority of the kingdom of God must always be kept separate from the power of the state and must not be dependent on dynastic succession of office. In the Elijah and Elisha stories, “royal power is repeatedly characterized as weak and ineffective, while the prophet can bring victory, healing, and even life.”18 God has always chosen and empowered his leaders for times of political threat against his people.
Jesus gave his followers the same assurance that the kingdom of God would prevail. At Caesarea Philippi Peter recognized Jesus as the Anointed One (“the Christ”), who fulfilled the promises of the prophets for the kingdom of God (Matt. 16:16). This confession was not by means of some special discernment but was itself a revelation granted by God (v. 17). As the one who had received this revelation Peter became that rock on which the church would be built (v. 18), with the assurance that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (KJV). The “keys of the kingdom” were entrusted to Peter (v. 19), with the assurance that no earthly power would ever be able to stop the will of God on earth.
This famous rock saying does not support the doctrine of apostolic succession. That doctrine declares that Christ appointed the original apostles and entrusted to them his full spiritual authority; they then appointed overseers (bishops) for the churches founded by them and passed on to them, through the sacramental laying on of hands, their authority of office. These men transmitted the office of overseer to their successors also by the laying on of hands. In this manner, apostolic succession guaranteed the legitimacy of episcopal church government, episcopal doctrine, and the validity of the sacraments dispensed by the bishops.19
The claim of the Roman Catholic Church to be the one legitimate continuation of the community established by Jesus Christ is based on apostolic succession. This does not mean that there are apostles, nor does it mean that individual apostles transmitted some or all of their commission to others. The officers of the church, the bishops, are a college (organized group or body) that continues the college of the apostles, and the individual bishop is a successor of the apostles only through his membership in the college.
Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Old Catholic, Swedish Lutheran, and some other Christian churches accept the doctrine of apostolic succession and believe that the only valid ministry is based on bishops whose office has descended from the apostles. This does not mean, however, that each of these groups necessarily accepts the ministries of the other groups as valid. Roman Catholics generally regard the ministry of the Eastern Orthodox churches as valid but do not accept the Protestant ministry. Protestants consider episcopacy or leadership necessary to the “well-being” but not to the “being” of the church; therefore, they not only accept the ministries of the other Christian groups as valid, but they encourage associations with all Christian groups that do not accept apostolic succession.
The prophetic authority of the church is not different from that of Elijah and Elisha, which was sovereignly granted for the preservation of the faith when it was threatened by political and social forces. In his famous rock saying, Jesus was not bestowing the name Peter on the apostle as an indication of succession, but was interpreting it. The Greek word petros did not exist as a name in pre-Christian times. The word “stone” in Aramaic (kepaʾ ) was known, probably originating as a surname (e.g., 1 Cor. 1:12). The term referred to a small round stone. Peter (petros) would have been a literal translation of the Aramaic name kepaʾ. Greek speakers would have understood the play on words in which the stone (petros) would become a rock (petra), which would serve as the foundation for the church.20 Peter, “the stone,” something like a gem, perhaps known for his hardness and decisiveness, would become a massive rock. The meaning of petra is best illustrated by the famous city of that name (Petra), located in southwest Jordan and built on a massive terrace. Such a rock would serve as the foundation of the church.
In the rock saying, the phrase “my church” designates a time when the Christian communities existed alongside the Jewish synagogues as a distinct collective assembly. This distinct assembly began as the small group of followers identified as a congregation of God and grew to become a separate community. Though Jesus directed the beatitude specifically at Peter (Matt. 16:17), it must be remembered that the blessing belonged to all the disciples (cf. 13:16–17; 18:18). The heavenly Father had revealed his Son to his disciples (11:25–30), to those who were not skilled in intricacies of the traditions that grew up as a protection of the covenant, but who had seen the values of the covenant lived and fulfilled in the life of Jesus. The church was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20) as a sacred temple to the Lord. Peter is singled out as a representative apostle, the first person to be called a disciple, the son of John called Cephas (John 1:42), who loved Jesus and was called to feed his sheep (21:15–17).
The authority of the church. The authority of Jesus was continued in the one church described as a building. Members of the community of Qumran often referred to themselves as a temple or “holy house,”21 a metaphor that would have had a ready application in the earliest days of the church. “The gates of Hades” (Matt. 16:18) is a standard expression that means death or mortal danger. The powers of death are those forces that wish to bring an end to the church. Though these powers might manifest themselves in political movements, behind them are the forces of darkness that emerge from the abyss itself (Rev. 20:3, 7–10). Even these forces can never prevail against the church built on the rock.
Jesus’ words are his assurance to the church even in such a time when apostasy might infest the church, just as Elijah is assured that God’s power for his kingdom will prevail when he thought he alone remained faithful (1 Kings 19:15–21). Elijah will not only be succeeded by a prophet like himself, but will have a role in determining political leadership, both foreign and domestic. The church in the same way must not fear the oppression of political and religious leadership, but must recognize that faithfulness in times of threat is the assurance of their indestructible prophetic role. The church stands on the rock of the authority of Christ himself. Should the church come to be supported by political and social authority, she has reason to fear. Political authority serves the kingdom of humanity rather than the kingdom of God; political authority crumbles on foundations of sand.
As in the days of Elijah and Elisha, the church in the West is facing social pressures that might seem to threaten its prophetic voice, if not its very existence. Individual liberties and human rights have become the trump cards that supersede all other values. They serve as the basis for moral decisions, such as the right of life and death itself in questions of abortion and euthanasia. They are the argument for the redefinition of family, the very foundation of society itself. The momentum of social forces is to relegate the church to the periphery of social influence, as nothing more than one among many competing religious expressions that have no place in public life or in the academy.
The church must not be frightened by such threats; God has his succession of prophetic authority for the preservation of his kingdom, just as he did in the days of Elijah and Elisha. Rulers and skeptics who seek to challenge its role for human good will themselves prove to be weak and ineffective.
In the rock saying, the authority of the church is further developed in another image. Peter holds “the keys of the kingdom” (Matt. 16:19), the manager who has authority over all the buildings of the estate. The function of the keys is explained as a “binding and loosing.” The primary meaning is that of forbidding and permitting in the interpretation of the law. Rabbinic conviction held that God or the heavenly court recognized the decisions made on earth in relation to the Scriptures. Jesus was speaking of the teaching of the Scriptures, which would serve to introduce people into the kingdom.
The interpretations of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees excluded people from the kingdom (Matt. 23:13), but the teaching of Jesus’ followers would permit entrance into the kingdom. The “service of Peter” in the church is the “constant uncompromising advocacy of the teachings of Jesus.”22 Matthew concentrates this authority on Peter, but it is evident later in his Gospel that the same authority is given to every disciple and every community (18:18). Church discipline is one aspect of carrying out Jesus’ teaching that provides entrance to the kingdom.
Elijah and Elisha established their prophetic authority by means of divine intervention. Fire consumed the soldiers who sought to apprehend Elijah; bears destroyed the mockers who disbelieved the prophetic authority of Elisha. The prophets could turn deadly water into a life-giving source and influence change in political powers. Though God may grant such powers to the church in particular circumstances, the designated authority of the church is the “binding and loosing” that is the power of the gospel message. The prophetic word is complete in Christ.
The church must ever be faithful to this authority of Christ, recognizing it as the rock on which it stands. In his darkest days of tribulation, Martin Luther wrote the hymn “Ein feste Burg,” confessing that no temporal power can stop the work of the church. Luther recognized in the forces arrayed against him the work of the old serpent spoken of by the apostle John (Rev. 12:1–6). “For still our ancient foe, doth seek to work us woe, his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal” (trans. by Frederick H. Hedge). Luther continues:
Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing;
were not the right man on our side,
the man of God’s own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth His name,
from age to age the same,
and He must win the battle.
The attacks of temporal powers against God’s people should cause no fear. They will not prevail against the church any more than the house of Omri could prevail against Elijah and Elisha. Attempting to establish a power of spiritual authority on the basis of temporal powers is always a compromise of the real power of God in this world. Just as God called his prophets to teach the true worship of the covenant, so today he calls his ministers to give testimony to the teaching of Jesus. The keys of the kingdom do not belong to an ordained office but to all who minister in the service of Peter in advocating the teachings of Jesus.