2 Kings 2 (Part 1) Bible Study (Elijah Taken to Heaven) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Welcome. It's a joy to see you. And it's at this time now I invite you to come with me to second Kings chapter two as we resume the exhilarating study of the book of second Kings. And I will let you know in advance that we will not complete this chapter in its entirety tonight. There is way too much to unpack.

It would be a great injustice to try to cover everything lightly. And so I want you to be reminded that the end of second Kings chapter one concluded with a note of the tragic death of king Ahaziah, the notorious son of Ahab. Chapter one concluded with the tragic death of a wicked king. And as we come now to the opening of chapter two, in great contrast, we have the record of the honorable and the miraculous departure of the prophet Elijah. And unlike Ahaziah's briefly documented demise, the Holy Spirit gives us Elijah's transition into the heavenly realm in lavish detail, rich detail.

And evidently, there are important truths associated with this man's earthly exit that demands our careful analysis. And that is why we will take up this Bible study to do just that and to focus on the first 12 verses of chapter two. And to begin, let us read the first six verses. 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 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 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. Then Elijah said to him, please stay here for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan. But he said, as the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you. So the two of them went on.

Pray with me. Lord, what a great mistake it would be to approach your word and not seek your help. We pause as disciples, as your students, and we we petition and we plead that you would be with us as we scale and as we climb this particular mountain of truth. Indeed, it is a mountain. There are so many things to explore and to experience, so many heights to climb, and so many sites to see.

So we pray that you would give us the strength in our minds and our hearts to be patient, to be expectant, and to trust that you have something to say to your church even with these verses. We believe you wholeheartedly. We know that you've spoken to us time and time again, and we are excited to be able to sit in your presence and to listen to your voice. Speak now for your servants are indeed listening. In the name of your great son, the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray.

Amen. Amen. Look at verse one with me once more. Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven, It's important to recognize that the Lord not only determines how we get to heaven, namely through his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, but the Lord also designates when we go to heaven. Not just how, but when.

So the timing of each of our graduations into glory is a prerogative that belongs to God alone. And we see that clearly even with Elijah in his life. When God's sovereignty in this matter was at work, when this prophet, this wonderful prophet was at the lowest point of his life in ministry, requested with desperation that he would meet an early death. Remember that in first Kings 19. And that wish was overruled by God.

And there are many reasons for that, and the reason that you and I have seen with our own eyes throughout our study is that God delayed, God silently rejected that request because Elijah still had much to accomplish for the glory of God. And it is a consistent through a truth throughout scripture that the Lord preserves us. In essence, he makes each of his servants immortal until our witness here on earth is fully completed. And you see evidences of this throughout the bible as I mentioned and one of the clearest and I remember seeing this for the first time reading it just as my time of devotion was taking place and it jumped out of the pages and it clinched itself to me and I'll never forget how this truth of God bringing us home when we, in our testimonies, have met his desire is so evident in Revelation 11. Look at this in verse seven in Revelation 11, when the two witnesses who will be raised up by God to declare and give the people of that generation an opportunity to repent before God's final judgments were to come.

Notice what is told to us in Revelation 11 verse seven, and when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them. The truth here is so obvious. It's one of the clearest passages. Now Now here's my question to you. Does anybody know how long these prophetic ministries endured before they were brought into the presence of God?

These two prophets, these two witnesses. Any idea how long the duration of their ministries? If you know it, you can actually say it. Three years, very close. Look back at verse three.

And what do we see here? And I will grant authority to my two witnesses and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days clothed in sackcloth. So yes, very close to three years, a little bit over. This was how long these two messengers were to serve God in a particular fashion before they were summoned. Now you read that and you might think that's not a very long time.

You read that and you might think, I'm sure there was much more that they could do, just like Elijah and the timing of his departure and his ascendency into heaven. But God's thoughts are not our thoughts and his ways are not our ways. There are some servants who will serve God throughout decades and there are some faithful servants who may seem to have left us too soon. God not only sovereignly ascribes, listen, each of our Christian assignments, he also determines the duration of them. And in God's mind, though apostasy and idolatry was rampant, still rampant in Israel, it was time for Elijah to be promoted.

Promoted in a way where he would enter into glory and leave this world behind. Now, as we move on from this point, it's helpful to know that Elijah's movements in this chapter, at least in the first part of this chapter, all occurred in one day. You you heard me say it when the sons of the prophets approached Elisha in two specific locations. They said, hey, do do you not know that today the Lord will take away your master from you? All of those movements from one city to the next occurred on the same day.

And why is that important to confirm? Because you and I are granted the opportunity to behold Elijah's heart posture towards the Lord on his final day on earth. And what do we see from this man of God in his disposition, in his faith, in his relationship with God? One of submission and joyful obedience. Look back with me here at verse two.

And Elijah said to Elisha, please stay here for the Lord has sent me. For the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel. Look here at verse four. What does he say? Elijah said to Molasha, please stay here for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.

And in verse six, then Elijah said to him, please stay here for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan. What do we find here with Elijah? We find a man ready to leave this world the way he lived in this world. Walking in step with the will and the purpose of God. Walking near him, walking for him.

What a legacy. It's one thing for people to walk with the Lord for a period of time. I've met many of them. But it's a whole different thing for people like Elijah who James tells us, may I remind you, had a nature like ours and walked with the Lord until the last day of his life. And if there is anyone who proved that it was possible to imitate this man's faithfulness, it was his successor.

The man who accompanied him accompanied him on his final lap in his pilgrimage, Elisha. Verse one tells us that Elisha and Elijah were walking together. They were on their way from Gilgal. But do you notice that every pit stop, at every location that they stopped, Elijah beckoned and told Elisha to stay back. And each time Elisha answers in the same way.

He says, as the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you. So we step back and we ask, is Elisha being stubbornly persistent in disobedience? No. That is not the case because Elijah is not giving him a command from the Lord. So Elisha here is not disobeying anything.

So then what's taking place? Why is Elijah instructing Elisha, just please stay here as I move on? What's the reason for that? And I believe that there are two verses to consider that will help clarify this interaction. And they are found in the book of first Kings.

So go with me to first Kings 19. And look here at verse 16. This is a lot before Elijah even met Elijah, this is when Elijah was instructed by the Lord with his next task after he was rescued from despondency and depression. First Kings 19 verse 16. And Jehu the son of Nimshi, you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shephat of Abel Meholah, you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.

So from the beginning, we understand that both Elijah and Elisha were aware that at some point, Elisha was to succeed and replace Elijah in the leading prophetic role in the nation of Israel. That was knowledge, shared knowledge among both of them. So keep that in mind that Elisha understood that he was selected, invited, anointed to one day take Elijah's place as a prophet. Now look at first Kings nineteen twenty and let us consider the last recorded words of Elisha before second Kings chapter two. What was the last thing that we saw Elisha saying in the Bible before his interaction with Elijah in chapter two?

Look at verse 20. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, let me kiss my father and my mother and then I will follow you. And he said to him, go back again for what have I done to you? I will follow you. That was the last promise that Elisha gave to his master Elijah.

So we have these things in mind. Right? Elisha was anointed to be the man to take Elijah's place. When that invitation was made, Elisha responded receptively and promised Elijah, I will follow you. I will follow you.

And now we come and we realize that Elijah is asking Elisha not to follow him. Stay here. No, I'm coming. Stay here. No, I'm coming.

In essence, what Elijah is doing is granting Elisha in a subtle way the opportunity to turn away the call to be a prophet. He's giving Elisha a chance to decline the invitation of receiving his mantle, and taking his role as God's messenger for the nation. And each time Elisha essentially says, I said I would follow you, and I will follow you, and I will not abandon what the Lord called me to pursue. And significantly, Elisha's response, did you notice, was the same in Gilgal, the same in Bethel, the same in Jericho, word for word. Showing us what?

That regardless of the setting, the timing, the persistent pressure, Elisha's devotion to God and God's call was unwavering. It was steadfast. And I hope the same can be said of you. Commitment in our age is becoming more and more of a rarity. Yeah?

Dedication to ministries seldom last. Dissolving covenants in marriage is becoming a greater trend. And even many who have once said with great passion and conviction to the Lord, I will follow you. Do so while in Gilgal, maybe up to Bethel, but it doesn't go beyond a certain point. When Elisha said, I will follow you, he meant it.

Words today don't mean much, but they still mean something to God. A lot to God. So much so that we are warned not to make mindless and careless and spontaneous vows. I will follow you. And that didn't change no matter where he was at.

That didn't change no matter who was around him. That didn't change regardless of the temptation to reconsider. May it be so of us. I pray that your devotion to the Lord Jesus, your devotion to the ministry that he's called you to would be steadfast until you meet the savior. This was Elisha.

What a man he was. And interestingly, something else persistently takes place in the very same locations where Elisha shined in his commitment to the cause of his God. Specifically, two locations. You heard it when I read it, but let's revisit it. Look here specifically at verse three.

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 the same thing happens in verse five, it's echoed. The sons of the prophets who are 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? Let's clarify who the sons of the prophets were. Because they make a a very dominant presence in second Kings.

It's worth asking and answering this, and it's very easy to uncover because essentially the sons of the prophets were a guild. They were a community of prophets who were trained and taught by leading prophets such as Samuel, Elijah and Elisha. And from time to time, we even see these sons of the prophets being used by God to actually herald and declare the word of the Lord and we recognize that together in our study in first Kings chapter 20. Now membership in the school was not dependent upon physical lineage. The term son in no way denotes that there was a requirement for a biological association.

It simply explains that these people were a class of gifted individuals. And they came together to learn the word of God. They came together to be discipled so that they can be who God called them to be namely, messengers of the word of the Lord. You know what's so interesting about the sons of the prophets? When the prophet Amos speaks about the origination of his prophetic ministry, he clarifies that he didn't go to seminary.

He clarifies that he did not get his credentials among the sons of the prophets. He explains that God recruited him though he did not have formal training. Do you want the reference to that? I'll give it to you anyway. In Amos seven fourteen, notice what Amos says.

Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet nor a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. God doesn't just use people who went to bible college. Can I remind you of that? Nothing wrong with bible college, nothing wrong with getting theological education, but God is not limited to recruiting people who are among the sons of the prophets. Now, these sons of the prophets arguably make their first appearance in first Samuel chapter 10, and we see them as a group in verse five during Samuel's ministry, but they continue as an academy throughout the monarchy.

And second king suggests that these seminaries had branches in different locations. Right? We we saw them there in Bethel, we saw them there in Jericho, and it could be that as Elijah is making his way to his awesome transportation into heaven, he's visiting these students. To what degree did he interact with them? We're not told.

But what we know is that these sons of the prophets were made aware of the fact that their master is going to leave. He's going to depart. And for whatever reason, they sought to inform Elisha about it. And every time that they approached Elisha, like his response to Elijah, his response was the same. Yes, I know it.

And then he tells him to be quiet. Keep quiet. Now you might think that's a little rude. Why would he tell him to keep quiet? Well, it makes you wonder, was he annoyed?

Was he annoyed that these prophets were sharing something as though they alone knew it? There are a lot of people who get excited at discovering something and wanna herald it and broadcast it. So was he frustrated with them? Or was it because he was not wanting this new news to spread out to the public sphere for the sake of protecting his friend and his master Elijah? I don't think Elisha was frustrated nor do I believe that he was overprotective.

Re reread how these sons of the prophets informed Elijah about Elijah's exit. Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you? So even this band of prophets understood that Elijah and Elisha shared a special relationship. And Elisha having this affection and this relationship with Elijah, I'm sure, was pained in knowing that his tutor and his teacher was now going to leave him. And I think it pained them to the degree that when these sons of the prophets wanted to discuss it, he didn't wanna talk about it.

Just keep quiet. And if you don't believe that about Elisha and how he felt about Elijah, look at what happens the moment this whirlwind comes with chariots of fire in second Kings two twelve. And Elisha saw it and he cried, my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen. And he saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into pieces.

So Elisha was more than just an assistant to this man. He loved him. He enjoyed him. He delighted in his company. And when he knew that it was the day for him to leave, he didn't even wanna talk about it.

Keep quiet. Seeing the humanity in some of these mighty servants of God is quite refreshing. It's comforting. Isn't it? Because sometimes we dehumanize them in a way.

We almost make them seem to be like they're a different breed of humans. But pain, heartbreak, sadness are real for them and they tell us that they're not illegal emotions for us, especially with the thought of no longer enjoying the presence of people that we loved on this side of eternity. Such emotions, sentiments are normal even for prophets. But Elijah's sorrow is also instructive because his distress did not ultimately derail him from him serving the Lord. You know, there's some people who, even Christians, precious believers, that after a loss are so devastated that it debilitates them.

It it it crushes them to the to the point where they're no longer the same. They can't think the same. They can't socialize the same. They can't serve anymore. They can't worship the way they were able to worship.

And Elisha reminds us that that is not how it should be. Because by the end of this chapter, we're gonna see a man who is going to continue to walk and serve and honor his God even though one of the greatest men in his life would be taken from him. And so it's okay to know grief, but for that grief to drown you and to paralyze you is not God's will for you. So Elisha knew very well what it was like to have his heart broken, but he did not allow it to break his walk and his faithfulness to the God who wanted to walk with Elisha. Let's continue to read and fast forward here.

We read the first six verses. Let's now come to verse seven. 50 men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance from them as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water and the water was parted to the one side and to the other till the two of them could go over on dry ground. Does this miracle mirror anything in the Bible that we've seen before?

If you know the answer, you can say it. So some people said Exodus and Moses, yes, or the Red Sea. But there's even something more relatable. The crossing of the same stream through the leadership of who? Joshua.

We study that when we study the book of Joshua. I don't know when it was, a few years back. So interestingly, what you have here is Elijah's supernatural exit from this very same river that knew a supernatural entrance from the people of Israel in the time of Joshua. And we remember how that occurred. Do we not?

That the Ark of the Covenant rested on the shoulder of some priest and the moment that their priestly feet touched the brink of that water, it created a dry path for the people to cross on. And now you have Elijah who would cross that same river and enter into a different promised land. Joshua came into the physical promised land with that generation of Israelites. Now Elijah is crossing that same river to go into a heavenly promised land. And what's so beautiful about this parallel is that we can relate it to ourselves that the power of God that served Joshua and his generation to go into the promised land many, many years ago and the power of God that was able to remove that barrier so that Elijah can go and be taken into a heavenly promised land.

There is a power that we have inherited in Christ that would lead us safely into the same resting place that Elijah would go to. And as you and I, whenever our time is to stand at that border between this world and the next, we are assured that the gospel's power on our behalf will lead us through securely, unscathed, unharmed. And what a joyful revelation that is. On a practical note, when God, made that dry ground possible for Joshua and Israel, He performed it for a nation. Millions of people.

And now we come to second Kings two and he performs the same miracle for how many people? Not 2,000,000. Two. So let me say this, that the fact that God was able and willing to do this for two, reveals something about his heart for the individual believer. It reveals something about his love and his care, not just for his church as a bulk, but for each of the saints.

Each of his children he cares for. And so, yes, he moved mightily for a nation and he was willing to move mightily for a servant. That's the heart of God. And it's the same heart for you and I. So so God doesn't just care about Maranatha Bible Church.

He cares about every single member. Regardless of their role, regardless of their gifting, regardless of anything, he cares for each of us individually. So they cross and there was an audience of 50 that witnessed it. Now notice what happens here in verse nine. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.

And Elisha said, please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me. Elijah just keeps on giving. And he provides us even more wonderful inspiration and example of how a consecrated life looks like. There are two things, I believe, at least two things to take from Elijah's question and invitation to Elisha. The first one is quite simple.

We learn here that we are to serve people until we meet the savior. Don't you find this remarkable? That up to the very moment that Elijah would be taken, he turns to Elisha and he asked what he can do for him. Listen, the most rewarding way to depart from this world is to bless people who are left in it. That is the best way to live.

And we should strive to live in that way and we should strive to leave this world that way. To serve people for the glory of God. So up to the very last day of his life, he turns to Elijah and says, what can I do for you? There's a second truth. First one is, again, we are called to serve people until we meet the savior.

And the second is this, when it comes time to meet your savior, you can't take anything with you. Notice that Elijah didn't inquire of anything. Do you know why? Because there's gonna be no room on that chariot of fire for luggage. There's nothing that he can take.

The only thing that he's able to take is his history with God. His walk with God. His service to God. And being conscious of that every single day, not just on your final day, God help us. People thinking that they can just turn on consecration the moment they realize that they only have a little bit of time left.

What a miserable way to live your existence. To frame yourself and your thinking in this way, that perspective will promise you the right priorities and the right affections to be placed where they need to be and that you would not waste your life. What can I do for you? This is it. I'm at the end of the road.

There's another thing worth highlighting from this verse. Read very carefully again. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you. I'll never forget the time that I had a conversation with an individual. It was my first time meeting him, somebody sat at the meeting.

And I didn't know where this conversation would go, but it very quickly went into a debate over dinner. This individual was a very devoted Catholic according to his admission. And we came to the conversation of the intercession of the saints or how it is possible for us to inquire of those who have passed on into heaven to intercede on our behalf. And as this individual was making his case, a certain scripture came to mind, the words of the apostle Paul. And once he finished, I read him what Paul said and I asked him something.

And I want you to see where I went with this man in Philippians one chapter 23. As Paul was wrestling between departing and being with Christ or remaining with the Philippian believers among other believers, and he confessed in Philippians one twenty three, a staggering thing. I am hard pressed between the two, the two desires, wanting to be with Christ or remaining on earth. He says, I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ for that is far better, but to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith. Here's the essence of Paul's struggle. Potentially facing death because he's writing this from prison. The only thing that's holding him back from embracing it is serving the people of God. The progress of the joy in the faith of these Philippians was the motivating factor for him to stay back.

And with that in mind, I told this individual, if Paul could minister on behalf of the saints while in heaven, why would he write indicating that if he were to depart from this world and be with Christ, that that would mean the cessation of his service to the people of God? Does that make sense? If it's possible for saints to serve God's people in another realm, then why did Paul feel this tension? He was quiet as you can imagine. And I bring that up because Elijah is communicating a similar point.

Look back at verse nine of second Kings chapter two. When he had they had crossed Elijah said to Elisha, ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you. Implying what? You can't inquire of me after I am taken from you. This is your chance.

And Elijah being sought after was only possible and beneficial as long as he was on earth. I encourage you to use a verse like this to help those who believe something that the bible does not teach. So how will Elijah now take advantage of this opportunity? Elisha rather. Look at verse 10.

And he said, you've asked a hard thing because Elijah just asked, can you give me a double portion of your spirit? And he says, you've asked a hard thing, yet if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you. But if you do not see me, it shall not be so. So what was Elisha's desire? It reveals a lot about him.

He could have asked for anything. Like Solomon could have asked for anything. And what he did ultimately long for is something that you and I should ultimately long for, spiritual blessings. And in this particular case, he says, would you grant me a double portion of your spirit? Now many many many many people misinterpret, misunderstand Elisha's request as though he is asking for a grander, mightier, more renowned ministry than Elijah had.

As though he is inquiring for a double measure of the Holy Spirit. And I don't believe that's the case and the reason is because Elisha is framing his request based on an old testament law and principle. And that law and principle is found in Deuteronomy 21 verse 17. And it is in that verse where we understand that the firstborn of every household was to receive what from his father? A double portion of his inheritance.

So if there's a firstborn among other siblings, the firstborn would receive double. After his father would pass, he would receive more of his estate and his possessions. And we can get into that another time, But Elisha in understanding that rule sees himself as the firstborn among all the sons of the prophets. Remember what he called Elijah when he departed from him in verse 12? What what did he say?

My what? My father. My father. So Elisha felt as though he was the firstborn among the sons of the prophets and he realized that he was to be the successor of this leading role, And so when he asked for this double portion, what he is really inquiring of is the appropriate measure and grace to be able to serve God in the way that he was called to serve him. Give me what I need to be able to fulfill this role faithfully.

To be spiritually empowered the way you were spiritually empowered so that I can follow in your steps. And Elijah's response in verse 10 as I read it to you reminds us something very important. Listen, if you were serious about serving God in any capacity, realize what he says, you have asked a hard thing. Methods, practical wisdom, doctrine can be transferred from person to person. But what cannot be given from one man to another is power from on high.

That cannot be granted. You can't pay enough tuition to get it at any seminary, any place. It cannot be permitted by any person And only the Lord has the ability to fill us and endow us and endow us with his spirit. And the way you posture yourself to receive God's hand, God's blessing upon your efforts is modeled by Elisha. One, acknowledge your absolute weakness.

For him to ask this reveals that he knows himself and he realizes that he is hopeless unless God walks with him as he did with Elijah. So admit your weakness and beyond that ask. Ask the one who is gracious and willing to pour out his spirit upon you and to help you. There are many people that are content with receiving something from other men and God uses other men. I'm not minimizing that, but there comes a point and you better learn it from the earliest point of your service to the Lord that God has to put his hand on your life.

And he has to empower you and you must continue to seek him for continuous fillings of the Holy Spirit. It makes all the difference. And I'm afraid that there is this idea that such a pursuit is mystical and shameful. Believe what you want. I see something in my Bible.

That there is a great difference with a Holy Spirit empowered ministry and a ministry that relies on even good things, but without God's ultimate help. Give me a double portion of your spirit. And Elijah said, that's a hard thing. Yet, if you see what's about to take place, know that that is the sign that God has accepted your desire. What happens?

Verse 11. And as they still went on and talked pause. Don't you wish we knew what they talked about? And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

And Elijah saw it and he cried, my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen. And he saw him no more than he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into pieces. Notice that little phrase in verse 12, and Elisha saw it. So God opened his eyes, more than just granting him the honor to behold such a majestic miraculous thing, but to indicate to him, I heard you. This is fascinating.

But you know what's more fascinating? Not just the fact that God heard his prayer in that moment, but that only Elisha saw it. Not even the 50. Remember the 50 that were at the border? They weren't invited to come across the the Jordan to see it.

God ordained that there would be an audience of one. And I'm wondering, why not more? Why not make this known to the nation? Why not show the people how you exalt your servant and more importantly, exalt your own name? And what does the Lord do instead?

He privatizes it. He brings Elijah and Elisha to a remote location, literally across the border. And he only opens the eyes of one soul to behold it. You know what I thought when I read this earlier today? I thought to myself, God concealing this must must testify to us that there are some things that he's doing, miracles and movements of his spirit that we are unaware of.

There are things that are happening in this world that God is doing that the world does not know of, at least the majority of the world. And more than that, is this the only time that God translated somebody into heaven apart from the portal of death? Who's the other individual? You remember what we're told there in Genesis chapter five concerning Enoch? It's very simple.

It's very plain. There's nothing spectacular about it. He says in Genesis five twenty four that Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took him. No chariots of fire, no whirlwind, no gust of this, no manifestations. Just one day he's there and this is what I get from it.

One day he's there and boop. The next day he's not. Next moment he's not. The next blink he's not. Why didn't he give Enoch this incredible kind of exit?

So many questions, and sometimes we get answers in the Bible. The answers that God sees fit to give us. And oftentimes, the best answer to things like this is what the Psalmist said in Psalm one fifteen verse three. Our God is in the heavens. He does all that he pleases.

So why did he conceal this and not make it a public spectacle? Why didn't he do it on Mount Carmel and invited the whole nation? Because he does what he pleases. Why did he do this for Elijah and not do it for other great prophets including Enoch? Because he does what he pleases.

We have to rest in that and we have to rejoice in that. The Lord does what pleases him ultimately, and that is for his glory and that is for our good. And we read here at the end of verse 12, and he saw him no more. This is really the end of Elijah's ministry, or is it? This is why you can't skip parts of the Bible.

Something strange happens after Elijah was taken from this world. Can I show you? Go to second Chronicles with me as we are ready to put this chapter of our study to rest, namely through and about Elijah. Second Chronicles 21, this chapter deals with Yehoram or Jehoram when he reigned in Judah, and something fascinating happens in verse 12 of second Chronicles 21. Look at this.

And a letter came to him from who? Who wrote this letter and sent it to Jehoram? Elijah the prophet. You know what's interesting about this? Jehoram reigned after Elijah was taken.

Saying, thus says the Lord, the God of David your father, because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel and have enticed Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem into whoredom as the house of Ahab led Israel into whoredom. And also you have killed your brothers of your father's house, who are better than you. Behold, the Lord will bring a great plague on your people, your children, your wives, and all your possessions, and you yourself will have a severe sickness with a disease of your bowels until your bowels come out because of the disease day by day. How did Elijah send a letter? And so you have people who speculate.

So you have some people who believe that Elijah was able to send a letter from heaven. I highly doubt that. You have others who believe that when Elijah was taken up by a whirlwind into heaven, it wasn't into the third heaven because that word can be used for the three spheres of heaven. There's a first, second, third heaven. And so in their minds, for Elijah, in order to make sense of this, to be able to write a letter, he was taken up into the heavenlies, into the sky, but he was teleported somewhere else on the earth.

And they justify this by saying that Elijah had a tendency of appearing and disappearing. Right? And so this is really Elijah's retirement more than anything else. And so he was positioned in some secret location and to add to this argument when you read later on in second Kings chapter two, when Elisha returns and crosses the Jordan, the 50 band of men who were there inquired and asked Elisha to do what? Can we go find Elijah?

Do you remember that? If you don't, you're gonna have to come in a couple weeks to read it with me. They asked her, he he must be somewhere, let's go find him. And Elisha was like, you're you're gonna waste your time. And they said, no, no, no, please.

And so he said, all right, fine, go. And they go and they travel for a few days and they didn't end up finding him. And so the argument goes, well, even these prophets understood that Elijah was not to be taken into heaven, heaven, but some other place or else why else would they ask? That's as persuasive that sounds, that doesn't seem to fit the context at all. The best explanation for how Elijah was able to write this letter to Jehoram is that he did so beforehand.

Jehoram didn't reign too long after Elijah was removed from this world. And it's not uncommon for prophets to predict and foretell of things far beyond their lifetime. Is it? No. So Elijah simply had this prepared and at the right time, it was granted to Jehoram as a warning.

Now with that being said, in terms of principle, it provides us wonderful truth that Elijah's ministry in some way continued even after his departure. And it reminds us of what Hebrews tells us about Abel that though he died, he what? He speaks. And there are ministries today that you and I are benefiting from, but the very ministers are not alive today, are they? But the preservation of their sermons and their writings are still touching millions of people, thousands of people, ministers who are serving God today.

But how that relates to you and I is that it is, I believe, possible to live in such a way that even after we leave this world, we can still with the memory of our life, bless others. With your legacy, touch your children and your grandchildren. With Elijah's in the church who are advanced in years and advanced in their experience of God's faithfulness, blessing Elisha's who are up and coming. And so as we close this chapter of Elijah's life, let us let us reflect on his faithfulness, Elisha's faithfulness, and now turn to the same God of Elijah and Elisha and ask for his help to serve God until our last day. Let's pray and seek him together.

I just wanna give you the time to reflect. Lord, your word is amazing. We're moved by your truth, and we give you glory for it. Your word says that all scripture has been breathed out by God so that the man of God may be complete, ready for every good work. That is no less true with the story of Elijah and Elijah.

Help us be faithful to you. Help us keep our word. Help us serve people until we meet you. Help us remember that we're not taking anything from this life with us, except that which is sowed into the things of the kingdom. Lord, if anybody is suffering pain after loss, any kind of loss, may you, by your grace, energize us to serve you, worship you, honor you with our lives.

We thank you, Lord, that the same God who worked on behalf of the nation of Israel when they went into the promised land, the same God who is willing to help and assist and bring two servants safely through the Jordan, Lord, you are the same God walking with us, guiding us, protecting us. So Lord, at this time, we worship you from our hearts. We love you and we adore you. We crown you with our praises. Help us know you more.

We we, like Elisha, want the things of the spirit more than anything else. Your presence, your power, the opportunities to reveal your glory. So even now, tonight, we sincerely ask, clothe us with your power. Fill us with your spirit. Use us in a way where people, when they hear us, when they see us, when they interact with us, would not be able to shake off that there's something different because it's you working through us.

We don't want anyone to see us, Lord. We want them to see you through us. This is our desperate plea, and we believe you're gonna answer it as we seek you for it. So we say thank you tonight. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen and amen. Amen. This is kind of like a school, is it not? I would think so. But once why don't we stand and worship the living God who is the head of this church and the church at large?