II Kings 2 · The Lantern

Elijah Taken Up to Heaven

And it happened, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

And Elijah said to Elisha, Stay here, Please; for the LORD has sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said to him, As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. So they went down to Bethel.

And the sons of the prophets at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said to him, Know you that the LORD will take away your master from your head today? And he said, Yes, I know it; hold you your peace.

And Elijah said to him, Elisha, stay here, Please; for the LORD has sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. So they came to Jericho.

And the sons of the prophets at Jericho came to Elisha, and said to him, Know you that the LORD will take away your master from your head today? And he answered, Yes, I know it; hold you your peace.

And Elijah said to him, Stay, please, here; for the LORD has sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. And they two went on.

And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view in the distance: and they two stood by Jordan.

And Elijah took his robe, and rolled it up, and struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that they two went over on dry ground.

And it happened, when they had gone over, that Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you, before I be taken away from you. And Elisha said, please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.

QUESTION ABOUT ELISHA: DID HE OBTAIN WHAT HE IS SAID TO HAVE ASKED TOO HARSHLY OF ELIJAH? — Elisha, eager in spirit for performing miracles and enticed by the example of his master, when he received the permission to ask for whatever he wished, greedily for good things requested that the spirit be present in him in double measure compared with what it was in his master.

Therefore, he who is everywhere does not dwell in all, and he does not even dwell equally in those in whom he does dwell. Otherwise, what is the meaning of the request made by Elisha that there might be in him double the Spirit of God that was in Elijah? And how is it that among the saints some are more holy than others, except that they have a more abundant indwelling in God?

And again also he commanded his disciple with authority, saying, "Ask whatsoever thou wishest, and I will give it to thee before I am taken from thee;" and according to what the disciple asked and the master commanded, the Spirit ministered in very deed, and bestowed the gift upon Elisha.

And he said, You have asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so to you; but if not, it shall not be so.

And it happened, as they still went on, and talked, that, look, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

But do not marvel in regard to what is said about Elijah, if, just as something strange happened to him different from all the saints who are recorded, in respect of his having been caught up by a whirlwind into heaven, so his spirit had something of choice excellence, so that not only did it rest on Elisha but also descended along with John at his birth; and that John, separat…

Any one who is filled with astonishment, as he thinks of the ascension of Elijah and his passage in a chariot of fire, must see how much the nature of humankind has been honoured, as, it is thereby taught and has the hope, that it can pursue its way to heaven.

The prophets proclaimed the mystery of the Lord's ascension not only by their words but also by their actions. Both Enoch, the seventh [in the line of descent] from Adam, who was transported from the world, and Elijah, who was taken up into heaven, gave evidence that the Lord would ascend above all the heavens.…Elijah presented an image of this festivity of the Lord by a miracl…

And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and its horsemen. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and tore them in two pieces.

He took up also the robe of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;

And he took the robe of Elijah that fell from him, and struck the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had struck the waters, they parted here and there: and Elisha went over.

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah does rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

And they said to him, Look now, there be with your servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray you, and seek your master: lest perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, You shall not send.

And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.

And when they came again to him, (for he stayed at Jericho,) he said to them, Did I not say to you, Go not?

Elisha Heals the Waters of Jericho

And the men of the city said to Elisha, Look, please, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.

And he said, Bring me a new jug, and put salt in it. And they brought it to him.

And he went forth to the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus says the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from there any more death or barren land.

So the waters were healed to this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spoke.

Elisha Mocked

And he went up from there to Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said to him, Go up, you bald head; go up, you bald head.

And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty-two children of them.

And he went from there to mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.